Gunns Hustles a Proposed Pulp Mill As Clean and Green

In December 2004 Gunns announced that it was proceeding with plans to build a major pulp mill based on Tasmania's forests. Days earlier Gunns' had announced a SLAPP suit against 17 individuals and 3 organisations. On its special website established for the pulp mill project Gunns claims that the proposal will be "the world's greenest pulp mill".

However, as part of the proposal Gunns' are requesting 30 years access to the native forests of Tasmania and the pulp process will use 26 billion litres of water every year and discharge 30 billion litres of effluent into Bass Strait. Gunns Revised Project Scope

"As part of its commitment to value adding and international best practice, Gunns Limited is proposing the development of a pulp mill in Tasmania utilising the best global technology," it states. 

Gunns have communicated to shareholders that "The project provides an ability for the Company to obtain an increase in the value of pulpwood through accessing the pulp market in addition to its current woodchip markets."Gunns annual report 2005 This in contradiction to Tasmanian government claims that "It will use woodchips that are otherwise exported."

Gunns proposed pulp mill has been described as a highly risky investment (PDF)

A recent report Financing Pulp Mills: An Appraisal of Risk Assessment and Safeguard Procedures by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)the report states that investors and lenders are failing to properly assess the financial risks behind pulp mill projects around the globe. The report states that "Pulp mills require special attention for a number of reasons: First, the enormous scale of modern pulp mills means that they consume very substantial volumes of wood. A single BHKP mill with an annual capacity of 1.0 million tonnes, for instance, will typically require between 4.5 – 5.0 million cubic meters of roundwood per year – roughly equivalent to 15 percent of the total annual timber harvest from the Brazilian Amazon. Large-scale pulp mills can also place considerable pressures on natural forests when production capacity is installed before supporting plantations are brought online, as prior CIFOR research in Indonesia has shown. In countries or regions with poor forest governance, demand for pulpwood can be a significant factor driving illegal logging. Plantation development, too, is often associated with displacement of forest communities and social conflicts."

Websites on the Proposed Pulp Mill

 * Gunns: http://www.gunnspulpmill.com.au/
 * The Wilderness Society: http://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/forests/tasmania/gunns_proposed_pulp_mill/
 * Tasmanians Against the Pulp mill (TAP): http://www.tapvision.info
 * Gunns' Tamar Pulp Mill: http://www.tamarpulpmill.info/
 * Don't Pulp Our Future - Tasmanian Greens: http://tas.greens.org.au/issues/index.php?CampaignID=182

Other SourceWatch resources

 * Gunns
 * Gunns SLAPP's 20 Australian Environmentalists
 * Pulp Mill Task Force
 * Elemental Chlorine Free Pulp Mills
 * Evaluation of the Social Impact Assessment of the Gunns Ltd Bell Bay Pulp Mill
 * Sweco Pic

Tasmanian Government statements

 * Premier Paul Lennon, "Ministerial Statement", October 26, 2004.
 * Premier Paul Lennon, "Pulp mill has the potential to create up to 1500 long-term jobs; Tasmanian pulp mill to be "modern, clever and safe"; Investment-ready", October 26, 2004.

Federal Government statements

 * Sue Neales, "Greens cry foul over $60m pulp mill route 'rort'", The Mercury, May 11, 2006.

2004

 * Philip Hopkins, "Gunns plants seed of $1bn mill", The Age, June 28, 2004.

2005

 * "$1.6m tax slug for pulp rush", NineMSN, March 30, 2005. (This is an AAP story).
 * "Guidelines crackdown may delay pulp mill", ABC News, April 8, 2005.
 * "Residents rally against Gunns pulp mill", ABC News, April 9, 2005.
 * Nick Clark, "Pulp mill impact guidelines", The Mercury, April 8, 2005.
 * Anna Randall, "Gunns questioned over pulp science", The Examiner, May 5, 2005.
 * "Gunns' pulp mill faces court challenge", NineMSN.com, April 15, 2005. (This is an Associated Press story).
 * "Council fury: Mayor blasted over pulp mill no-vote, The Examiner, April 27, 2005.
 * "Pulp mill project gets Tas Budget support", ABC News, May 20, 2005.
 * "Minister admits mistake over Gunns advice", ABC News, June 1, 2005.
 * "Govt to push Gunns' pulp mill project", ABC News, June 2, 2005.
 * Nick Clark, "Federal help to speed up mill", The Mercury, June 2, 2005.
 * "Proposed pulp mill wins federal backing", NineMSN, June 3, 2005.
 * "Gunns alters pulp mill plan", ABC News, June 20, 2005.
 * "Lennon up-beat about planning process for Gunns", ABC News, June 20, 2005.
 * Cathy Alexander, "Gunns slammed over mill changes", The Advocate, June 21, 2005.
 * "Gunns urged to explain pulp mill changes", ABC News, Tuesday, June 21, 2005.
 * Nick Clark, "Concern at mill group's power", The Mercury, June 28, 2005.
 * "Logging off at pulp mill", The Advocate, June 29, 2005.
 * Nick Clark, "Protest putting 2500 jobs at risk", The Mercury, June 30, 2005.
 * Nick Clark, "Public comment on pulp mill reopened", The Mercury, July 7, 2005.
 * Sue Neales, "Chips too dear: Price blamed for slump", The Mercury, August 9, 2005.
 * "New pulp mill design unveiled", ABC News, August 12, 2005.
 * Nick Clark, "Gunns puts mill critics in picture", The Mercury, August 13, 2005.
 * "Milne on attack over pulp mill plan", The Mercury, August 20, 2005.
 * "Gunns aims at Bell Bay growth after profit falls", The Australian, August 26, 2005. (This is an AAP story).
 * Nick Clark, "Gunns delays key report", Mercury, August 31, 2005.
 * "New Pulp Mill Could See Gunns Fire", Australasian Investment Review, September 05 2005.
 * Nick Clark, "TCCI off to Finland for pulp mills tour", The Mercury, September 10, 2005.
 * Matthew Denholm, "Pulp mill faces derailment", The Australian, September 30, 2005.
 * Phillipa Duncan, "Pulp DVD on its way to North homes", The Examiner, September 30, 2005.
 * "Debate continues over Finland pulp mill tour", ABC News, September 30, 2005.
 * Matthew Denholm, "Cadet 'fired' over pulp mill stories", The Australian, October 07, 2005.
 * Nick Clark, "Human face of writ agony fronts Gunns", The Mercury, October 28, 2005.
 * "Gunns talks up pulp mill at AGM", ABC News, October 27, 2005.
 * "Minister decides on mill assessor", The Mercury, November 3, 2005.
 * "Guidelines for Gunns's pulp mill plan amended", ABC News, November 5, 2005.
 * Sue Neales, "Last-gasp changes to mill proposal", The Mercury, November 5, 2005.
 * Nick Clark, "'Brown stain' fears floated over effluent", The Mercury, November 15, 2005.
 * "Activists rally in logging heartland", The Australian, December 03, 2005
 * Sue Neales, "$2m tax prop for work on pulp mill", The Mercury, December 9, 2005.
 * Nick Clark, "Gunns gets its orders: Regulators reveal mill guidelines", The Mercury, December 30, 2005.

2006

 * Nick Clark, "Mill secured, says Gay", The Mercury, March 20, 2006.
 * Michael Stedman, "Election result is public approval of new mill: Gay", The Examiner, March 21 2006.
 * AFP, "Global pulp mill industry on verge of collapse: report", ABC Finance News, May 11, 2006.
 * Shawn Donnan, "Lenders fail to assess pulp mill project risks", Financial Times, May 11, 2006.
 * Sue Neales and Phillipa Duncan, "Chip trauma helps push for pulp mill", The Mercury, May 16, 2006.
 * Phillipa Duncan, "'One in four' backs Gunns", The Mercury, July 12, 2006.
 * "Gunns's invite-only mill briefing condemned", ABC News (Tasmania), July 12, 2006.
 * "Forestry lobby defends Gunns' pulp mill", ABC News'', July 15, 2006.

2007

 * Michael Stedman, "Shock resignation has pulp mill plans up in air", The Examiner, January 5, 2007.
 * Andrew Darby, "Trouble at mill: resignations add air of pollution to pulp project", The Age, January 6, 2007.
 * Sue Neales, "Quit shocks hit pulp mill panel", The Mercury, January 05, 2007.
 * Andrew Darby, "Gunns tried to silence me, claims pulp mill critic", Sydney Morning Herald, March 29, 2007.