Acting prime minster Julia Gillard today declared that “Gunns can start the construction” in response to claims that Garrett’s move could sound the death knell for the controversial project.
“The construction works are considerable and there’s been environmental assessment of those and they’ve been given the all clear,” Gillard said in a television interview.
“It’s such a big construction project it’s obviously going to take a number of years to complete.”
“So we get all the construction done, then when the mill is actually working there is a question particularly about what goes into the ocean and how that moves around the ocean, a sort of modelling of where the discharge will get to in the ocean. That still needs to be done and Gunns has been asked to do that further work so that the environmental process can be worked through to its full conclusion.”
Garrett yesterday opted not to approve modules L, M and N of the draft Environmental Impact Management Plan (EIMP) submitted by Gunns “until after all the facts are on the table”.
“National environment legislation requires that I take a precautionary approach to environmental protection,” Garret said in a statement. “I am not satisfied, with that in mind and informed by the advice of the Independent Expert Group (IEG), that I can grant final approval for this mill without fully understanding its potential environmental impacts.”
“That includes having a thorough understanding of the potential impacts of the mill’s effluent discharge on Commonwealth marine waters and absolute confidence in the proposed management and response strategies that are proposed to put in place to protect the environment.”
Garrett also announced that a new condition would be imposed on the mill subjecting Gunns to criminal and civil sanctions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act if the mill – once approved – exceeds certain environmental limits.
“Under this new condition, civil penalties of up to $1.1 million per offence can be imposed on Gunns and it also provides the basis for future variation, suspension or revocation of the mills environmental approval,” said Garrett.
Garrett also took a swipe at his predecessor, former environment minister and current opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull, saying the former minister’s approval conditions for the mill contained “inconsistencies”.
Gunns will now have until March 3, 2011, to resubmit the rejected modules of its proposal.
The company is still struggling to find financial backers for the project in light of the global economic crisis, whilst the mill has also attracted sustained opposition from environmental groups and the Greens Party.
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.
Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter
