It's election time down under - let Australia's politicians know that the world is watching and that the pulp mill would be disastrous for the environment.
The Australian Government has voted to allow a huge, controversial new pulp mill to be built in Northern Tasmania. Once operational, this “World’s best practice” plant will:
• Consume up to 6 million tons of ancient old growth forest annually.
• Emit 10 million tons of CO2 a year and possibly discharge 64,000 tons of toxic effluent into the sea, every day.
The whole planning process for the mill has been a farce. When the appointed inspectors looked like doing the right thing for the environment, the State Government sacked them and re-appointed another body. Only now after 4 years in planning and due to pressure from environmentalists, will the Government require the developers to get an environmental assessment. Sadly, this assessment will not need to be finalised before the mill can open.

Tasmania’s forestry industry is infamous for its closeness to the leaders of the State, Labor Government. In Australia Last year in a test case, the Australian High Court ruled that it is illegal to kill endangered species. This much needed clarifying of the law was used to highlight the fact that this practice continued for decades within forestry without fear of prosecution. The solution the Government used to avoid this inconvenience to their big business mates, was to change the law.

Tasmania, an island the size of Wales, only has 13% of its old growth forest left since first white contact. Licences have already been issued to reduce this to 6%. Australia is systematically destroying it’s old growth forests for short term gain and reducing the world’s ability to resist climate change.

This protest will hopefully let the Australian Government know that the World is watching and that people are aware that what happens down there, will affect us all. Trees are the World’s lungs.