Economic and planning risks

To: Environmental Protection Authority Tasmania
Mr. Warren Jones
Director of the EPA.
warren.jones@environment.tas.gov.au

4th September 2009.

RE: Gunns Limited— Approval of the Draft Pulp Mill Design.

Dear Mr. Jones.

I write to you as I understand that this document has been submitted for your consideration and approval.

I wish to draw your attention to Appendix 3 of the Equator Principles (EP) document. I strongly suggest that you do not approve the Pulp Mill Design document as the statements contained in Appendix 3; the basis of the whole design is plainly erroneous.

Here is an attempt to put a few figures to the cost to taxpayers of building the pulp mill. This does not include the fact that Gunns will have to service this new loan and profits head offshore to shareholders. Nor does it take into account that there will be a 15% oversupply of pulp coming on line from 47 new mills worldwide, and Gunns may have to go back to the various governments for further direct subsidies to keep afloat. The individual figures are all open to tweaking, but it does illustrate the size of the problem that we are (not) being asked to fund.

THE FUTURE

“As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.” Thus spoke King Solomon (Proverbs 25.25). His wisdom resounds down the ages and brings good cheer to the Tamar Valley in this Christmas week of 2007.

Where is this ‘far country’ and what is the ‘good news’?

The far country is America. The beginning of the good news, the incipiently good news you might say, occurred a few months ago. That was the start of a ‘credit squeeze’ in America due to the subprime mortgage crisis. Loan defaults in the housing market, in particular the 3.5 million ‘homeowners’ who were sold loans they had no chance of repaying over the long term, or even the short term, sparked the squeeze.

To yourfeedback@anz.com

To: ANZ Head Quarters

Attn: Mr M Smith, CEO

Dear Mr Smith,

Re: The Gunns Pulpmill, Tasmania, Australia / Deforestation vs. Climate
Protections &
Institutional/Corporate Responsibilities

As a very concerned citizens I find it necessary to write to you
directly and this with the hope that you will afford the time reading
below all for your considerations. All in the hope that you will side the
environment and the global community at large for all future

Because I was interested in buying a rural block for sale in the northern Tamar region, some local friends from Deviot recommended I called the West Tamar Council to clarify whether or not it would permit a house being built on the block. This is because there have been recent moves in the council to rezone rural land following a state and federal push to inhibit the breakdown and subdivision of farming properties.

From what I could understand from the gentleman I spoke with on the phone, the West Tamar Council is in the process of having hearings to further define and classify rural land in the region for building purposes. Land presently zoned "rural" will be either reclassified as "rural resource" or "rural living". To be able to build on the former, the minimum land size would be 50 hectares. To build on the latter, the minimum land size is 10 hectares, with the proviso that "some agricultural enterprise" is carried out on the block.

Nowhere have I been able to find the real value of trees and forests in terms of what they are worth in dollars if they are left standing. This factor does not seem to have been properly evaluated, although there are many prognostications that they could be worth more as trees than as woodchips. As carbon trading offsets and carbon credits they could be far more valuable than the measly price they are being sold for in Tasmania. While they are standing, their value remains, but once 'harvested', that value has gone for ever and they then add into the global warming by producing carbon dioxide, and they also no longer act as a filter for these gases.

Letter to the editor
Dear Sir

Mr Lennon preaches doomsday predictions if the Pulpmill project does not go ahead, and is supported by the forestry workers union. One would expect from the biased media that, were this to happen, all forestry workers would become instantly jobless.

However, in the ABC Four Corners program interview, Barry Chipman, (Tasmanian StateManager of Timber Communities Australia) when asked of the loss of this project said "our future isn’t threatened, what is threatened though is the ability to to continue to grow and prosper."

Now, as Federal Government Tax concessions have ensured increased forestry job growth already, I am appalled at the greed of the forestry workers who stand to loose nothing if the Pulpmill is stopped, while people like vineyard owners, fishermen, people in tourism, restaurant owners, B&B owners, not only stand to lose income but some stand to lose their jobs and businesses if the Pulpmill goes ahead.

Editor
Examiner

It seems the large multinational companies from mainland Australia have effectively shut out some Tasmanian businesses for this project.

Our company has been involved with the Gunns project for 2 years.

But to our amazement we have been overlooked as a contractor by mainland project managers due to the fact that they have not heard about us.

When they were informed of our company the construction company gave us 3 working days to tender a 10 million dollar section of this project.

After a number of emails and phone calls we were able to obtain an extension of 5 extra days.

Letter to the editor Examiner
Dear Sir
I hope you will be able to include this in 'Letters to the editor'.

Referring to John Tempest's previous submission (Letters, June 21), as a long-term human being, I would like to know the name of the business behind the Pulp Mill project. The reason being that I, and probably thousands of other human beings, do not want to support their business, or to help them fund a campaign against our ecologically sustainable industries, future livelihoods and future environment.

Eric Ollier

Uploaded by Admin

As a self-funded retired couple who moved to Tasmania for lifestyle, we are concerned that the Tasmanian environment is being raped by self-interested greedy individuals.

We are contacting members of the Tasmanian Legislative Council, to highlight our concerns at the manner the Gunns Pulp Mill development has been and is being handled by the Tasmanian Labour Government.

There is a sense of OUTRAGE in the community that the promised RPDC process has been side-stepped in what looks like a backroom deal.

We are now told that this huge project can be assessed properly within 4 or 5 months when Ex-RPDC Pulp mill expert and scientist Dr. Warwick Raverty is on record as saying it was RIDICULOUS to suggest it would only take 6 months.