Hampshire is visible from Cradle Mountain & bounds the Cradle Mtn-Lake St Claire UNESCO World Heritage National Parks. The Greens say that is where they want it, but it is a very big and very obvious white elephant for anyone that looks at it on a map. If Gunns ever proposed building the mill at Hampshire the Greens would scream blue murder...and they would then have genuine cause to scream it.
By comparison with Hampshire, the mouth of the Tamar river (George Town & Bell Bay) are a polluted, industrial environment. Already home to a gas fired power station, aluminium smelter, 2 woodchip mills, sawmills etc. It is politically expedient for the Greens and media friends to paint the Tamar as 'pristine' - because it suits their cause...they know that IF the mill gets up, it locks in forestry production in Tasmania for at least the next 50 years. The Greens are philosophically opposed to this outcome and will propose any unviable red herring that they think will distract attention and delay the process. Having lived in Launceston and owned a farm in the Tamar Valley in the past I can certainly say it is a very pretty and picturesque area in parts - but is also very industrial.
And as for 'fast tracking' and 'lack of community consultation'...this process has been going on for years and is so exposed in the media that it is hardly 'under the carpet'...another convenient untruth.
GNS Price at posting:
64.0¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Not Held
