Matthew Denholm; 11/5/09
State approval for Gunns Tasmanian pulp mill is invalid and wide open to legal challenge, according to an analysis to be published by a leading administrative law expert. Michael Stokes, University of Tasmania senior law lecturer, told The Australian his detailed analysis revealed an apparent fatal flaw in the mill assessment process. The flaw was a “time bomb” for the $2 billion bleached eucalypt mill, proposed for the Tamar Valley north of Launceston, providing solid grounds for a legal challenge. Mr Stokes’s analysis concludes that the assessment of the project by consultants under former premier Paul Lennon’s fast-track process failed to comply with Mr Lennon’s own fast-track legislation.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25459212-5013404,00.html
Tags: Australia, Environment, Trade