Anti Pulp Mill Rally, 2007. Credit: tamarpulpmill.info

By Rich Bowden

Gunns Ltd’s controversial $A2 billion pulp mill has been placed in jeopardy following a dispute with a Swedish joint venture partner.

The company Sodra is insisting on a number of criteria before it agrees to financing of the northern Tasmanian project, reports The Australian today.

Two of the key demands, taking source stock from 100 percent plantation timber and making the pulp process chlorine free may be agreed to, though it is unclear if this would require new government approval, says the paper. The two factors may go some way to acceding to demands of opponents of the mill though a third, the resiting of the project away from the Tamar district, may prove impractical.

The dispute comes amid news of a controversial week-long visit to Europe by Tasmanian Treasurer Michael Aird on a mission to attract investment for the region and reiterate the Government’s support for the contentious pulp mill.

The Treasurer defended his decision to take the taxpayer-funded trip saying it was necessary for the Tasmanian

Tasmanian Treasurer Michael Aird. Credit: Michael Aird.

economy.

“I’m happy to front this. I think that I’m doing the right thing by the Tasmanian community,” he told reporters.

“I think ultimately if we can get this pulp mill built and it stacks up economically and stacks up environmentally, then the Tasmanian community will be better off so I’m not apologetic about what I’m doing.”

However the Wilderness Society has called on the Treasurer to tell both sides of the highly emotive issue to potential investors.

“Mr Aird has made a virtue of the fact that he is disclosing this meeting to the public, but he also has an obligation to voters to be open about other aspects of this meeting. He must make it clear to the potential investor that there is massive community opposition to the pulp mill here in Tasmania,’ said Paul Oosting, pulp mill campaigner.

“This pulp mill is opposed by a majority of Tasmanians, and at least twenty major banks and pulp companies have said they won’t be involved in the project. This potential investor needs to know the division it would be buying into,” he said.

The Society has called the trip a waste of taxpayer funds, on the behalf of Gunns Ltd. The Australian’ article reports that the Swedish joint venture’s call for a redesign was in part a reaction to massive community disquiet over the pulp mill.

Tags: Bell Bay pulp mill, gunns ltd, Michael Aird, Sora, Tamar pulp mill, Wilderness Society