machines roll in

Machines roll in amid quiet on pulp front
BY ALISON ANDREWS
30 Aug, 2011 08:34 AM
NOBODY was talking about it yesterday but it looked as though the big machines had finally turned up for work at Gunns' proposed Bell Bay pulp mill site.
Timber company Gunns has one more day to start bulk earthworks at its proposed $2.3billion pulp mill site before state permits for the mill's construction expire.


The company has refused to say exactly when the $20million-$30 million earthworks and other preparation needed before construction of the mill itself will start.


The site has remained much the same for more than a year after some clearing was done around the area of the proposed mill.


But yesterday, a neat row of at least five big, yellow, apparently unused, earth-moving machines could be seen lined up on Gunns' old Longreach woodchip land near the boundary with the pulp mill site pointing in that direction.


Gunns managing director Greg L'Estrange said last Friday that the contract for the proposed mill's bulk earthworks had been awarded to a Tasmanian joint venture between John Holland and Southern Tasmanian-based Hazell Bros.


Gunns refused to comment yesterday on whether a start had been made on the earthworks.


A Gunns' spokesman also refused to comment on a commercial settlement offer from the state government for exiting native forest harvesting that it had expected last week.


Premier Lara Giddings said yesterday that the offer had been made.


The company has not yet resumed share trading after requesting a trading suspension from the Australian Securities Exchange more than three weeks ago.




examiner.com.au