TASMANIA'S PULP MILL    

Modern Kraft Pulp Mill approved for Tasmania's Bell Bay Industrial Site

A modern pulp mill at Tasmania's Bell Bay  industrial site on the Tamar has been approved. This exciting project will  add significant value to wood chips currently destined for export .

The Parliament of Tasmania approved the permit conditions on 30 August 2007 . The then Federal Minister for the Environment Malcolm Turnbull signed off on Commonwealth environmental values on4 October 2007.

The Pulp mill development is set to add $6.7 billion to Tasmania's economy, creating and securing jobs. The  down stream processing a natural renewable resource in accordance with the conditions imposed by the State and Federal regulators will result in a win-win situation for Tasmania, Gunns Limited shareholders and the planet.

The modern mill will use best available technology to ensure its impact on the environment will be neutral, that its use of resources such as water and wood will be sustainable, and that permit conditions will ensure that adverse odour, particulate air pollution and toxic emissions will be absolutely minimised and within strict guidelines that protect human health workers and nearby communities surrounding this heavy industrial area.

With so much discussion and media coverage of the modern elemental chlorine free kraft pulp mill approved for the Tamar Valley, this site is intended to provide facts and details behind the headlines and an in depth  look at some of the claims being made about the pulp mill that continue to be reported in the media.

As the pulp mill has been approved by both the Federal Government and the State Parliament it is not intended that the site convince the reader to be pro-mill or anti - mill but to provide a balance of information and resources to allow the reader to either make up their own minds or to provide a pathway to find out more about the mill to be able to make an informed opinion on what this approval means to them.

This site provides the detail behind the 30 second news grab and allows for follow up.

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Myths about Mill still need busting!

Despite five years of public scrutiny, a raft of reports, media examination and community debate, myths about the pulp mill are still circulating locally and throughout the world.

In Austria , in the first week of June 2009, Greenpeace held an anti pulp mill protest that targeted European banks and equipment manufacturer Andritz and its workers and their families. But their web site (Google English translation) and a handout failed to tell the truth that the pulp mill would be plantation based, Elemental Chlorine Free kraft pulp mill complying with international best practice.

An analysis of the mythical claims compared to the facts can be downloaded (right click to save) , all available from published information available on the internet.  It makes you wonder why Greenpeace failed to check the facts before their media stunt.

Let’s not miss the opportunity to further add value to woodchips currently being exported. Nor the opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint by creating local jobs in Tasmania not shipping them off shore.

Substantial progress achieved at financial year end

Gunns Limited, the developer of the modern ECF pulp mill, has announced to the Stock Exchange that it has decided to develop a Joint Venture Agreement for the project, and is moving forward positively with the preferred partner. 

This news has been welcomed in financial circles and by the community. Respected analyst Robert Gottliebsen stated “we have a first class pulp operation being planned for northern Tasmania which will yield big profits”.

Eva Down of Timber Communities Australia welcomed the announcement as “like seeing a rainbow after a stormy day”.

However the welcome news has also brought out vocal opponents with the “TAP” group producing a brochure written by former RPDC panel member Warwick Raverty in May about 2005 concerns on Odour. Its production was at the same time as the Windermere Legislative Council election where high profile anti pulp mill and Greens party candidate Peter Whish Wilson failed to get elected after receiving only 16% of the vote.

Both Warwick Raverty and Peter Whish Wilson appeared on the ABC’s 7:30 report alleging odour will impact on surrounding vineyards.  However the report failed to tell its audience that Mr Whish Wilson was a Green candidate or that Dr Raverty has been running a public campaign against the pulp mill since he resigned from the RPDC panel because the Greens accused him of bias.

His resignation was because ENSIS (CSIRO), his employer, had said in 2005 in relation to odour “The only time that these gases escape to the atmosphere are during periods of process upset. In a mill using Accepted Modern Technology odour should only be detected beyond the mill boundary for 2 – 3 days per year at most, during the time the mill is being started up or being shut down for its annual maintenance program. The emission limit guidelines for odour established by the Tasmanian Government are the most stringent in the world.”

This Question and answer sheet can be accessed at the ENSIS odour management web site. 

This debate comes after the completion of the upgrade to Australia Paper’s pulp mill at Maryvalle in regional Victoria where Dr Raverty worked almost a decade ago.  The $340 mill upgrade was to bring the mill up to "Accepted Modern Technology" in odour management and bleaching technology.  The Victorian Premier said, when opening the redevelopment this was “great news for the environment with the redevelopment mill to feature a new elemental, chlorine-free bleaching plant that delivers world-class environmental performance".

This upgrade was deemed not to have any adverse impacts on Commonwealth Environmental Values under the EPBC Act, and is set amongst a population of 72,000 people within 20 km. This is similar to the modern Kraft mill at Biganos 40km to the west of Bordeaux, France , the 'wine capital' of the world!! Modern ECF Kraft mills happily coexist with vineyards and other rural industries around the world.

In a final surprise, the ABC’s leading current affairs section failed to report on the Odour management requirements of the State Permit (Sections 35.1 to 42.1) [accessible from the Department of Justice on links page] that includes an odour monitoring panel of at least 10 local residents and the detailed Design report released (see below), Section 5.2.18.10 that deals in detail with Fugitive emissions.

Detailed Design plan released