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Gunns Pulp Mill Approval EPBC 2007/3385
22 May 2008
Latest News
The fourth module of the plan to manage the environmental impacts of the Gunns pulp mill project has been approved by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Hon Peter Garrett.
This module, Module E, relates to construction of the workers' accommodation facility, which will cater for up to 800 workers during the estimated two-year construction period. The approved Module E will be available to the public on the Gunns Ltd website.
Further modules will require the Minister's approval before additional work can be undertaken. See media release
Project Background
On 4 October 2007 the Gunns pulp mill in Tasmania's Tamar Valley was approved with 48 stringent environmental conditions.
In summary, the key elements of the conditions are:
- an integrated Environmental Impact Management Plan that will strictly prescribe all actions relating to Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 matters
- an independent panel, drawn from national and international experts, to oversee the design, implementation and monitoring of the pulp mill
- an independent inspector, appointed by the Australian Government, to monitor Gunns compliance
- guarantee of tertiary treatment of effluent, should it become necessary
At the time the approval decision was made, The Chief Scientist of Australia, Dr Jim Peacock AC, advised that the expert panel of scientists that he convened to review the pulp mill assessment was impressed by the technical and engineering advances that have been made in the design and operation of elemental chlorine free pulp mills. The panel accepted that the proposed mill was likely to conform to world's best practice. In relation to effluent being released into the marine environment, the dioxin limit is more than 70 per cent better than world's best practice.
- Minister's decision and approval conditions (PDF - 1063 KB)
- Fact sheet - summary of conditions (PDF - 58 KB)
- Advice of Australia's Chief Scientist (PDF - 352 KB)
- Fact sheet - summary of Chief Scientist's advice (PDF - 67 KB)
- Letter from the Chief Scientist to the Minister (PDF - 181 KB)
- The Department of Environment and Water Resources' recommendation report
The Independent Expert Group
Condition 6 of the approval decision requires a group of experts to advise the Minister and the Department as required and assist in the design, implementation and approval of the Environmental Impact Management Plan for the pulp mill. This team of scientific experts is referred to as the ‘Independent Expert Group’.
The role of the Independent Expert Group is to provide:
- independent scientific and technical input and advice on material submitted by Gunns Limited through the Department regarding the design, implementation and approval of the Environmental Impact Management Plan, extending through pre-construction, construction, pre-commissioning and ongoing monitoring phases
- scientific and technical advice as required to assist with the approval of consultants engaged by Gunns
- provide advice to the Independent Site Supervisor and the Department as to the appropriateness of relevant methodologies and monitoring data
The members of the Independent Expert Group were announced in a media release on 12 October 2007. On advice of the (then) Chief Scientist, the following experts were appointed:
- Professor Frank Larkins, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne as Chair of the Independent Expert Group
- Dr Graeme Batley, Co-Director, Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research, CSIRO and Chief Scientist in the CSIRO environmental biogeochemistry theme
- Professor Helene Marsh, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at James Cook University
- Dr Mike Herzfeld, Coastal Environmental Modeller, Marine and Atmospheric Research, CSIRO
- Professor Paul Haddad, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Tasmania
Further appointments to the Independent Expert Group may be made as required. All further appointments will be announced publicly.
For further information on the functions of the Independent Expert Group, follow the link below to the Working Protocols.
The Independent Site Supervisor
An Independent Site Supervisor will also monitor Gunns’ compliance with the conditions of approval. The Independent Site Supervisor position is currently held by Adjunct Professor Robert Joy, School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning at RMIT University, former Deputy Chairman of the Victorian Environment Protection Authority.
The Independent Site Supervisor has the full range of powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to access all necessary and relevant information to enable him to ensure full and proper compliance with the conditions.
All queries regarding the pulp mill, the Independent Expert Group or the Independent Site Supervisor should be directed to the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.