Editor's Note: Thanks to our friends at Alternative Media Group for this insightful interview with Tamsmania's Green Senator Christine Milne.
Senator Christine Milne is a Green from Tasmania in the Federal Upper House. She has fought all manner of environmental destruction, in particular the industrial consumption of Tasmania's iconic forests over the last 30 years. Indeed, she was blooded in the fight against the Wesley Vale Pulp Mill in the 1980s and has brought that experience to bear in the fight against Gunns' proposed behemoth in the Tamar Valley.
Last issue, investment banker Dani Ecuyer gave this prescient economic analysis of Gunns' increasingly grim financial situation. This month, Senator Milne lets fly as Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, throws Gunns a lifeline.
Q> Ten months on - other than more relevant p.r. exercises, has the change in federal government yet seen any substantive change in federal
environment policy?
Senator Christine Milne: No, in fact in many ways it's worse, because there is an alignment between a Tasmanian Labor Government which will do anything and everything to facilitate Gunns, with a Federal Labor Government supported by Michael O'Connor and the CFMEU. In addition, we have an Environment Minister who hides in airports rather than face the community on issues pertaining to marine effluent and forests.
Whilst Malcolm Turnbull as Minister wasn't prepared to stop the mill in its tracks as he should have done, at least he set some firm dates. Peter Garrett is bending over backwards to facilitate Gunns to the point of even suggesting to them that they might like to apply for an extension. How is that for a wink wink nod nod?
Q> Regarding Garrett on Gunns - dull though the observation may be, isn't it fairly standard at state and federal levels to grant administrative
extension periods when they are sought or necessary?
Sen. Milne: It should be remembered that the State and Federal Governments agreed
to an assessment process for the pulp mill which Gunns pulled out of, instead providing an ultimatum that, if the mill did not have all its approvals by 31 July 2007, Gunns would not proceed because it would cost them a million dollars a day. After having thrown down the gauntlet to the Federal and State Governments, they both compromised their assesssment processes and fast-tracked everything to help Gunns, which, in turn, treated both governments with contempt.
Gunns has not done the work on the environmental assessment, but needed the extension in order to keep alive its hopes of getting funding for the project. No joint venture partner would consider the project in the absence of environmental approval. What Minister Garrett has done is give Gunns cover in financial markets to try to secure its funds. The extension will not make a jot of difference about compliance with environmental guidelines, especially since we know that Minister Garrett, with the full support of the Coalition, is keeping hidden from the public CSIRO scientist Michael Herzfeld's report which will demonstrate that the company cannot meet the dilution and dispersion requirements in the marine effluent mixing zone, and will have to invest in tertiary treatment. That is another very expensive process.
Q> Given all of the barriers facing Gunns - global credit crunch, impending carbon economies, company debt, collapsed market value, lack of bank support, ongoing community opposition - is it possible that Garrett and
the federal ALP are playing political aikido and allowing the mill to fail without actually incurring blame from Gunns, Business Council of Australia, Liberals, etc.?
Sen. Milne: I have never believed that Gunns' pulp mill was economically viable, and the project is only still alive because of massive state and federal governnment subsidies, including the 30 year wood supply agreement giving away Tasmania's forests at rockbottom prices.
Keeping the project on life support is completely misreading public sentiment. If Minister Garrett thinks such action will endear him to the community, he is wrong. If he thinks it will endear him to the business community, he will not earn their respect, but rather will confirm their view that Labor is a push-over for lobbyists from the big end of town, and will encourage the trend to spend money and time in Canberra, rather than on science and due process.
