We will continue to oppose and march and oppose any company that even THINKS about setting up a pulp mill in the Tamar valley!  We are part of the group that started this fight seven years ago and will be part of any present or future group so organized and dedicated. We are two voices of MANY!

The message must be getting through to these Finnish opportunists by now. Go exploit some other 3rd World backwater for your dirty pulp dollars. Get the hell out of Tasmania and stay out!

Well done Mike for posting this. 

I might add, that Mike’s photo is of one discrete section of the march.  The entire length was 3-4 of these segments as they approached the Govt offices in Charles St.  This pic is taken after the leading banner and people behind it, has arrived at Civic Square.

I beg to differ with Mike on the question of the size of that other march.  It wasn’t strictly a pro-pulp mill march, more a pro-forestry march and the number of marchers was 1000 or less.  (By counting bodies from Kate’s photo)

Back to the real matter at hand:  Lara, JVPs, anybody… there is no way we will lie down and accept ‘the’ pulp mill.

Further toour weak-willed politicians all scratching each others itchy bits and bowing and scraping to any and all Federal ministers, the way of these blots on honest society tells me we are in for a ring-ding battle, sooner rather than later.

By way of noting the Forestry Tasmania ads in the Country news section of the Mercury newspaper, they are just as inclined to aid in the destruction of our native forests by their own show of supplication in accepting the advertising rot (see above) of this anti-the Tasmanian-people renegade Government Business Enterprise.

Seems to me that no particular large body or group of individuals, apart from TAP seem to have any testosterone or strength of character to resist the still plaguing futures of this accursed Gunns Ltd Proposed Pulp-Mill?
The history of forestry harvesting activity over the last 30 years in Tasmania, is a history of corruption, mass destruction, grand scale use of poisons and toxic chemicals, extremely poor governance, then of the gross interferences in whichever prevailing party government becomes the State’s leader, to then enjoin themselves in the toe sucking of whichever corporate institution donates or contributes to the Trading account of such prevailing political party?

To make all this possible we have thrust upon us the particular law that we must vote one of these bastard party’s into State government leadership?

People, we are ever doomed to lose our magnificent forests due to the lack of disciplined rectitude and strength of character among any of those who have seized the mantle of power in Tasmania.

3; This is one of the Launceston marches. What about the Hobart march? Even I, firmly convinced as to how unpopular this project is, was surprised as to the number of people who fronted up in Hobart. It was raining, the super cars and the cricket (recollection only, correct me if I’m wrong) were also on. Still the march wound around several blocks
I’d suggest future protests choose a route that allows all the protesters a chance to be in the photograph. Basically, a long commodious straight section. They do it better in other parts of the world with big squares full of people.

Come on Karl, I would not be calling Tasmania a “3rd World backwater”.

“Dirty pulp dollars” what are your council meeting minutes printed on !!!.  Comments like these really don’t help your cause.

I would much rather see a pulpmill here than one elswhere in the world - adding well-needed input into the flagging economy of Tasmania.  Not much future in eco-tourism and retirement homes, or do you have any other suggestions ?

To David #6, there may well be a place for a pulp mill here but first it has to pass the first hurdle.
It has to be properly assessed. No fast track assessment when it is found to be “critically non-compliant”
No public money spent on trying to sell it to us.
No Special laws written by the companies lawyers to prevent any court action against the mill.
A proper assessment of the Costs and Benefits, not just the benefits.
No MIS schemes to get taxpayers funding the transfer of Australian land to overseas investors.
Get that bit right and then the public may approve.
I would suggest that the size of the mill will have to be at least half of the size of the current monster that has nowhere near enough resource available.

6; “adding well-needed input into the flagging economy..” It’s precisely this sort of thinking that’s causing the Tasmanian economy to flag.
This pulp mill is nothing but a giant conduit to suck money out of Tasmania. Regardless of everything else, it has to be paid for. Is it being manufactured in Tasmania, in Australia? No it’s not. The great majority, if not all, the money made simply goes to pay an overseas company to supply the mill.
Profits, if any, go to interstate shareholders and the elusive JVP.
Tassie supplies a few security guards and toilet cleaners. Big deal! Is this worth sacrificing so much for?

No 5. I understand that the Hobart march involved some 15,000 people. I took photos, but being in the middle of it and holding up a rather heavy banner, failed to get all of them in.
What was really heartening was the support we received from the shops along the route with shop assistants coming out and shouting encouragement.

#8 Perfectly said Steve, how the dullard government ministers could think otherwise to your views is something I will never understand.

In effect I see the eager beaver Lib/Lab + 2 Greens ministers, as assuming the position of leap-frog players, only to experience too late that the next expected ‘leaper’ is not endowed with sufficient ‘spring’ to enable them to soar over the body, but instead to ram into the posterior of said next in line minister, thus to ram home the truth of what they have allowed to happen to the State of Tasmania and its people?

Another similitude or analogy, is to imagine that Tasmanis has a giant launch-pad erected next to the proposed site of the proposed Pulp-Mill.
From here will be launched the “proceeds” of the pulping of every then pulpable form of timber, (including rebadged old growth,) to zip itself from Tasmania to places foreign.
(But in no way aligned to this State.)
That is, except for the wages of the flunky’s employed to clean out the shitters.

# 7 - If you are not aware there are strict federal government permits that need to be gained before permission to proceed with the pulpmill is granted.

# 8 - you didnt answer my question - what other businesses are looking to develop in Tasmania ????  Anyone have ideas

If the pulp mill doesnt get built then all skilled/experienced employees will have indeed become fed up with the state of Tasmania so, yes, I imagine all that would be left here would be security guards and toilet cleaners.  Plenty of work for them though, as they could share there time between the retirement home.

# 10 - what do yo think is happening to all the woodchips currenly.  They are exported “from Tasmania to places foreign” as you put it.

The Examiner is just out of the picture as ever -lurking around the corner in Paterson Street ready to pounce with their own agenda.

#11 - Federal jurisdiction and approvals are strictly limited to marine outflow and migratory species. Only the RPDC has assessed other impacts at arm’s length. No sarcasm needed to underline that negligence.

Would someone amongst the proposed pulp mill’s apologists answer why it is that the proposed outfall pipeline is almost halfway between the Tasmanian shoreline and the 3 mile limit. The Commonwealth needed to know about pollution of its waters, but from the Tasmanian government, not one word. Quite content with dioxins, fuerans and organochlorines to be dumped in astonishing amounts in a shallow Bass Strait with slow currents and with onshore winds directing the flow. A CSIRO study showed just where the poisonous effluent could wind up. Bad news for Gunns, who then commissioned their own study to show a pliable Minister that it would all be fine.
We have had an Ethics committee for several months now. Just what are they doing? And what are they going to investigate first: or if that’s too hard, in what areas are they going to recommend ‘education’ for politicians and senior public servants? We are also wondering what happened to the Legislative Council’s enquiry into the roles played by Ms Hornsey, and Mr Lennon in the infamous withholding of the RPDC’s ‘critical deficiency’ finding.
Small wonder that among the biggest sellers of TAP stickers has been the ‘Tasmania - Explore the Corruption’ one.

11; You obviously do not operate a business in Tasmania. If you did you’d be aware there’s a shortage of skilled/experienced workers.
What there is not a shortage of is low skilled non-workers with little, if any, work experience. Usually combined with a very bad attitude towards the concept of work.
How do you reckon the pulp mill is going to help them?

11. Steve, if you have tried to get any sort of development done in Tasmania you will find it easier and a lot cheaper to get tradesmen from the “big island”. Try employing local unskilled labour at your own peril….ATTITUDE!