Government should not pay Gunns millions, say protesters

September 14, 2011
Issue 
Protesters converged on Gunns' Launceston office on September 15. Photo: Code Green/Facebook

Grassroot activist group Code Green Tasmania released the statement below on September 15 to mark a protest outside forest company Gunns’ Launceston office that day.

The previous day, Tasmanian premier Lara Giddings announced her government would give Gunns $23 million in return for the company agreeing to end the logging of native forests.

Giddings also said she had cancelled Gunns’ $25 million debt to the state-owned Forestry Tasmania.

* * *

Forty protesters today staged a peaceful protest at Gunns Ltd’s Lindsay St office.

The conservationists entered the gates and displayed banners reading “Enough is enough”, “No finance, no permits, not brains” and “Why am I paying Gunns’ debt?”

The protesters are outraged more money has been offered to Gunns by the government.

Code Green spokesperson Joanna Pinkiewicz said: “We are shocked that this private company has been financially supported by our government for so long.



“Taxpayers’ money has been spent over and over again to support Gunns. The community would like to see this money spent on our hospitals or schools which have been threatened to close.

“Our opposition to the [Gunns Tamar Valley pulp] mill will continue. We are determined to support the community in their efforts to stop the mill from being built.

“We urge people to display their dissatisfaction with the current Labor government by speaking out and not supporting them in the next election.”

The protesters left Gunns’ property when warned by a Gunns representative they would be arrested if they remained on site.

The protesters then continued to display the banners outside the gate. One protester remained seated inside the compound after the others had left

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