Mr DEAN ( Windermere ) - I rise to make some short comment in relation to this matter and I certainly support the bill moving forward. If this project were to fall on what could be a technicality then I think it would be absolutely wrong. We have been through all of the processes and we have reached this stage, and I believe now that we need to ensure that we know exactly where we are going with this mill now moving forward, and that is very clearly what this is about, as I understand. It is about getting certainty for the permits and a period of time by which substantial commencement of this development must commence.

I really would have thought that even the strongest opponents to this development out there would like to see this moving forward. They would then have an idea of exactly when this development now must start and if there is no substantial development within that period of time, it falls. The only option then would be for it to come back into the Parliament, I would suspect, and go right through the whole process again, and I think that would be a very difficult process to go through.

It is not unusual under the LUPA act for developments, when they are approved, to have two years in which to substantially commence the development. Local government is dealing with these all the time, and particularly the larger councils. In the Launceston City Council these extensions are sought from council probably at every fortnightly meeting and I would suspect that that is probably the case in some of the other larger councils, and the smaller councils probably not as often, but they would certainly see them coming forward as well.

I have not seen one coming into the Launceston City Council, at this stage, that has not been supported. They are always supported because the reasons given are usually acceptable. In other words, there have been problems like the economic downturn, other problems that the developers have met on the way, and they have not been able to substantiate a substantial development within that period and they simply ask for the further two-year extension. That extension is the end of the whole process if they cannot develop it or commence it within that time. I see this as providing some certainty moving forward and that to me is very important.

I might take this opportunity, Madam President, to say that there are people out there who are still vehemently opposed to this mill and opposed to this current bill we are talking about today. I want to refer to an incident that happened yesterday and, in fact, it involves the honourable Treasurer as well. I received a phone call yesterday morning from a lady who refused to identify herself but she certainly made reference to this bill coming into the Chamber and the Gunns pulp mill. She proceeded to berate me on the phone. I tried to get an identification from her but could not get that. She then proceeded to tell me that I was on my way to jail and that I would be charged with bribery and corruption. I intervened and retorted to that comment, 'I've been there and done that', and that did not please her because she then thought I was making light of a very serious issue.

Ms Forrest - I thought you told her you were looking forward to the rest. That's what you told me.

Mr DEAN - There is more - I am only partway through the story. She continued to tell me that she had written documentation which would show clearly that I had received lots of money from Gunns to support their pulp mill moving forward and to support this bill coming into the Chamber today. She said that she had that on record. She then went on to say, after I made the comment that I was looking forward to the rest, that I was going through a pretty difficult and tough time at present and that a rest over there would probably be good for me. Again, that did not really appease her much. She then proceeded to tell me, Madam President, that not only would I be going to jail but the Treasurer was certainly on his way to jail with me -

Mr Aird - Yes - Paul Harriss is going to arrest me!

Mr DEAN - Just wait for this - and that our President, Sue Smith, was also on her way to jail with me -

Mr Aird - In the same cell? Ha, ha!

Mr DEAN - I do not know -

Mr Finch - Every cloud has a silver lining.

Members laughing.

Mr DEAN - as was the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Will Hodgman.

Ms Forrest - That's an interesting mix, don't you think?

Mr DEAN - An absolutely interesting mix. She kept telling me that she had the evidence and it was clear that we had received this money from Gunns to give them support and she said our time was up. But she really rubbed salt into the wound as far as I was concerned when she then went on to say that, compared to me, Mr McCreadie and Mr Johnston were angels. I said to her, 'You're really attacking me now'. It got to the stage where I hung up on her but it will be interesting to see if anything happens from there. These people are out there and make these statements. It is disappointing but in the position we are in I suppose we have to expect that that is going to happen from time to time.

Madam President, I think for me not to support this bill moving forward would be to let my electorate down. During my election my wife and I took on a party - the Greens, in this instance. They had a lot of support from people out there and I stood on this issue as a very important part of my election campaign - my support of the pulp mill moving forward.

Mr Parkinson - The irony of it all is that you were elected on their preferences.

Mr DEAN - That is exactly what happened, albeit my primary votes were over and above the others as well, but it really put me in the front moving forward.

Mr Hall - Your main opponent also supported the mill.

Mr DEAN - That is right, my main opponent also supported it.

Madam PRESIDENT - Can we now perhaps go back to the clarification bill?

Mr DEAN - It relates to this bill because those people were telling me that they wanted my support moving forward and this bill comes forward as part of the pulp mill and giving it certainty.

Madam PRESIDENT - On leaving, I will say I am pleased they have a women's prison.

Mr Aird - The feeling's mutual!

Members laughing.


Sitting suspended from 4 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.


Mr DEAN - I raised the issue of the phone call just before the suspension. The only thing that I am not sure of is the time we are all going to be carted away. When I find that out I will let you know.

There are just one or two other comments I would like to make. The Solicitor-General in this instance is telling us that there is uncertainty with it and that is the reason we need to go down this path as well so I think we would be foolish not to accept that. If it went on and legal issues arose, I think we would be left in a very, very difficult situation, and with a lot of egg on our faces. So I think this is the way to move forward.

The member for Launceston mentioned reasons for the mill not to be in the Tamar Valley and I can go right down that track, other than to say that having looked at other mills around the world I think they are not as grotesque as one would think. They are simply an industrial site. The new Aurora Energy power plant at Bell Bay really is not dissimilar to that in height and everything else and that is simply an industrial site that has drawn little criticism between the time it was being built and now. In fact I do not think it has drawn any criticism from any group.

Mr Hall - I think the pulp mill stack is only about 6 metres higher than the Alinta one.

Mr DEAN - That is right, the stack that is already there, so it is not as grotesque as some people say. I know exactly what the plants around the world look like - not from pictures, not from books, but from actually seeing the plant itself.

Madam President, I certainly support the bill and I would like to see the project up and running and moving forward.