Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Minister for Environment and Water Resources under the Howard Government approved the construction and operation of the Gunns proposed pulp mill in Tasmania in October 2007,

(ii) under Condition 45 of the Federal Approval for the pulp mill it states 'If, at any time after five years from the date of this approval, the Minister notifies Gunns Limited in writing That the Minister is not satisfied that there has been substantial commencement of construction of the pulp mill, then this approval lapses and the action must not thereafter be commenced',

(iii) it has now been more than 5 years since that approval was granted and no substantial commencement of construction has begun, and

(iv) the passing of the Pulp Mill Assessment Act 2007 by the Tasmanian Parliament bypassed the environmental impact assessments usually required for a project of this significance; and

(b) calls on the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (Mr Burke) to notify the receivers of Gunns Limited That the approval has lapsed.

Question negatived.