mill opponents still unswayed

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/03/09/212891_tasmania-news.html

Mill opponents still unswayed
NICK CLARK | March 09, 2011 12.01am

TAMAR Valley opponents of the Gunns mill have confirmed their rejection of the company's most recent overture.

Gunns managing director Greg L'Estrange said the company would set up an independent reference group of Tamar Valley residents and mill experts to monitor the plant's emissions and operations.

He said the group would have access to information about the mill's operation.

However, two of the major groups opposing the mill say they refused to meet Gunns.

They said their opposition had been heightened by the company's "too late" attempts to gain a social licence.

Pulp The Mill spokeswoman Lucy Landon-Lane said the group had refused to meet Gunns. "The time for talking was years ago," she said.

TAP into a Better Tasmania spokesman Bob McMahon also rejected the Gunns monitoring panel.

"This sort of thing has crystallised more opposition because people realise that it is not a genuine attempt to help the community but something to help Gunns stay afloat and try to breathe some life into the pulp mill proposal," he said.

Statement of Principles facilitator Bill Kelty met pulp mill opponents on Monday in the Tamar Valley.

"We have met with Bill Kelty and had an open discussion, but we want to make it clear that this was not a conciliatory meeting and that we are still in total and complete opposition to Gunns' proposed pulp mill," Ms Landon-Lane said.