Contrary to recent public statements by the state government and others, the permits for the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill have not been revoked. But the process to revoke them has started.
From here it seems certain that the permits will eventually be revoked, but we will be following this process to make absolutely certain.
Signage that was never used to guard the Gunns' pulp mill. Photo by Jill Cassidy
On 27 November 2017 we received a letter from Minister for State Growth, Peter Gutwein, confirming that he has asked the Department of State Growth to write to a long list of regulators requesting they revoke permits for the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill. This is the first acknowledgement that the process to revoke the permits had been initiated. I have contacted one council which has confirmed that they have received a letter from State Growth.
With the pulp mill finally behind them, campaigners gathered to celebrate and show off some of the fashions that arose over the 10 plus years of protest. Warrick Raverty (pictured far right and second from right) wore a shirt with signatures and messages from Tap Vision members from the final days of the campaign. Photos by Jill Cassidy
We assume (but do not know for sure), that Korda Mentha has a buyer who wants the land where the pulp mill was to be built, but does not want any of the approvals granted for the pulp mill.
Perhaps one of the greatest ironies in the more-than-ten-years of the pulp mill saga is that it was left to market forces to convince Korda Mentha of what the community have said from the start: that they could not get a buyer for the pulp mill permit because of a lack of social licence.
Article by Peter McGlone
Image courtesy of Jill Cassidy
Cassidy family boat Summer Cloud on the Tamar at the 2006 River Rally. Photo courtesy of Jill Cassidy