In Launceston15/5/2011 I was in Launceston at Royal Park on the banks of the beautiful Tamar River protesting against the pulp mill on Saturday. I stood alongside many thousands of committed people who had been fighting this issue for the past six and a half years, and next to others who had been fighting for our island on other issues for longer still - many who have been involved in both.
We all want to see an end to this foolishness and to resume life without the spectre of Gunn's Tamar Valley pulp mill. The cross section of people as with previous rallies in Lonnie I've attended, were representative of all age groups and creeds - they don't want that "dirty rotten stinking pulp mill" poisoning their towns and our island, impacting on their children or grandchildren, on their businesses and ways of life. For me it was important to be reminded by the speakers of the diabolical interruption to proper process to have the pulp mill approved. It was important to reflect on the impacts this and other decisions have done to undermine our democratic process, where our government has failed in its obligation to us as the people of Tasmania, our right to participate in this democratic process and an adherence to those clear boundaries put there in order to allow meaningful public debate and input. This rally was about more than the pulp mill - it was also highlighting the betrayal of democracy. I'd like to think this was the last rally on the pulp mill and that the issue was well and truly over. But I know that rallies such as this send a clear message to those who continue to run the pro-pulp mill stance including the government: You do not have the social license to build this mill. Nor do you have the social license to trample on people's lives and our democracy. Helen Burnet 14 May 2011
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