Environment Tasmania and three TamarValley business owners have launched a Supreme Court challenge to the Tasmanian government’s actions in relation to the approval of Gunns’ pulp mill in the Tamar valley.
To help fund this legal action, you can contribute to a legal challenge fund.
The court case is currently due to be heard on the 1st - 3rd April 2009.
After the abandonment of the RPDC assessment, the Tasmanian Parliament passed the Pulp Mill Assessment Act 2007 (PMAA) to enable the approval of the pulp mill. In an attempt to head off any public legal challenge to the approval or any attempt to seek compensation for harm that may be caused by the pulp mill’s operations, the PMAA contains an undemocratic provision: Section 11.
Using Section 11 as an excuse, the Tasmanian government has refused repeated requests to follow normal process and provide reasons for its decisions in relation to the pulp mill assessment and approval.
This is not democratic!
On behalf of democracy for all Tasmanians, Environment Tasmania and the Tamar landowners have gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the government’s decisions to refuse to give reasons. Simply, it is a brave attempt to restore faith in our democracy.
The Pulp Mill Assessment Act serves to squash the democratic rights of all Tasmanian communities to turn to the courts for the protection of their environment, their health, their homes and their livelihoods.
If the pulp mill causes a loss on property values, costs local business, affects public health or degrades the natural environment, the public have NO legal recourse because Section 11 rules it out.
On behalf of all Tasmanians, Environment Tasmania and three Tamar landowners have gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the government's decisions to refuse to give reasons. Simply, this is a brave attempt to restore faith in our democracy and to restore due process for the benefit of all Tasmanians. Giving Gunns' pulp mill legal protection is not in the public interest and it is crucially important that this legislation is challenged in the courts.
We need YOUR help to make it happen!
Everyone can be part of the legal action.
To help fund this legal action, you can
to a legal challenge fund.
Participants in this case are taking a significant risk. As this case proceeds they will need as much community support as possible and any donations from the public would be greatly appreciated.
You can
to the legal challenge fund by clicking one one of the orange donate buttons on this site
Or, through MyState Financial:
Environment Tasmania Inc
BSB: 807 009 Account Number: 6004 1026
Or by cheque:
Environment Tasmania Legal Challenge Fund
PO BOX 1073, Hobart 7001
For more information please contact ET on 03 6224 6319 or office@et.org.au
