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Support the Triabunna 13
Donate today and help conservationists being sued by Gunns Limited
On the 16 December 2008 activists from the Huon Valley Environment Centre and Still Wild Still Threatened conducted a peaceful action at
Gunns Limited's Triabunna woodchip mill. The action was focused on linking forests and climate change and was
conducted in the context of a national day of action condemning the weak targets and industry hand-outs included in the federal
government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme White Paper.
Gunns Limited's Triabunna woodchip mill. The action was focused on linking forests and climate change and was
conducted in the context of a national day of action condemning the weak targets and industry hand-outs included in the federal
government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme White Paper.
The Triabunna woodchip mill exports hundreds of thousands of tonnes of native forest woodchips each year.
Significant amounts of this come from areas of old growth and high conservation value forests in iconic and rapidly disappearing valleys
such as the Weld, Styx, and Upper Florentine. These areas are crucial in a climate change context as they contain areas of the world's most
carbon dense forests, and given existing accounting rules derived from the Kyoto Protocol, the millions of tonnes of emissions from the
logging and burning of these native forests are not accounted for.
Significant amounts of this come from areas of old growth and high conservation value forests in iconic and rapidly disappearing valleys
such as the Weld, Styx, and Upper Florentine. These areas are crucial in a climate change context as they contain areas of the world's most
carbon dense forests, and given existing accounting rules derived from the Kyoto Protocol, the millions of tonnes of emissions from the
logging and burning of these native forests are not accounted for.
The action involved seven activists locking-on to loading and woodchipping infrastructure and hanging banners from a woodchipping tower, resulting in the shutdown of the facility for approximately six hours, and generating widespread local and national
media coverage. A number of other activists entered the site of the mill fulfilling various roles associated with the peaceful action
guidelines to which Still Wild Still Threatened and the Huon Valley Environment Centre adhere, while others worked off the site.
media coverage. A number of other activists entered the site of the mill fulfilling various roles associated with the peaceful action
guidelines to which Still Wild Still Threatened and the Huon Valley Environment Centre adhere, while others worked off the site.
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Gunns Limited filed a writ a week later, claiming damages associated with trespass, exemplary damages, and seeking an
injunction that the 13 defendants be prohibited from entering land 'owned or occupied' by Gunns. Part of the damages claim was the seeking
of costs as activists had used the action to 'publicise their political beliefs'.
injunction that the 13 defendants be prohibited from entering land 'owned or occupied' by Gunns. Part of the damages claim was the seeking
of costs as activists had used the action to 'publicise their political beliefs'.
The defendants filed a defense based on an implied right, recognised in previous cases, to communicate on government and
political matters, and regarding several other matters related to the events on the day of the action.
political matters, and regarding several other matters related to the events on the day of the action.
11 of the defendants countersued Gunns, claiming that Gunns' claims that no old growth forests or logs will be used in its proposed
pulp mill is a breach of sections 52 and 51a of the Trade Practices Act. These defendants are seeking an injunction to restrain Gunns and
their spokesperson Calton Frame from continuing to claim that their planned mill will not be using woodchips from old growth forests .
pulp mill is a breach of sections 52 and 51a of the Trade Practices Act. These defendants are seeking an injunction to restrain Gunns and
their spokesperson Calton Frame from continuing to claim that their planned mill will not be using woodchips from old growth forests .
Gunns applied to strike out both the defense and counterclaim. After some legal manoeuvring, Gunns dropped the reference to
'communcating political beliefs', obviating the right to a defense of a right to political communication.
'communcating political beliefs', obviating the right to a defense of a right to political communication.
Subsequently, judges ruled that the defense and the counterclaim should be split into separate writs. This has meant that
the Gunns13 are now suing Gunns over the pulp mill. At the time of writing (Feb 2010), both cases are ongoing, with the Gunns13 expecting
the case to continue on for several years.
the Gunns13 are now suing Gunns over the pulp mill. At the time of writing (Feb 2010), both cases are ongoing, with the Gunns13 expecting
the case to continue on for several years.
We anticipate costs for both cases running into the hundreds of thousands, and given our limited resources are relying on a resource
which Gunns has no hope of accessing - the support of decent Tasmanians who believe in the right to speak freely on issues of importance to the
community, and who believe that the current state of the forestry industry, and the environmental, social, economic, and cultural
vandalism that it entails, should be relegated to a past that appears in hindsight to be nothing more than an historical blight on an
otherwise unique and potential-filled island.
which Gunns has no hope of accessing - the support of decent Tasmanians who believe in the right to speak freely on issues of importance to the
community, and who believe that the current state of the forestry industry, and the environmental, social, economic, and cultural
vandalism that it entails, should be relegated to a past that appears in hindsight to be nothing more than an historical blight on an
otherwise unique and potential-filled island.
We have received crucial and much appreciated support from the Tasmanian and Australian communities thus far, and due to the ongoing
nature of our legal defense and challenge we are hoping that this support, in the form of donations and words of support, will continue
to allow us to defend our rights to object to the destructive practices of Gunns and to hold them to account for their public claims.
nature of our legal defense and challenge we are hoping that this support, in the form of donations and words of support, will continue
to allow us to defend our rights to object to the destructive practices of Gunns and to hold them to account for their public claims.
The Gunns13 thanks you for your support and asks that you sign up to our mailing list, regularly check our website, make a donation, and
try using whatever means at your disposal to keep our case in the public eye. We also greatly appreciate an email or phone call, and
would love to hear from those who would like to get in touch.
try using whatever means at your disposal to keep our case in the public eye. We also greatly appreciate an email or phone call, and
would love to hear from those who would like to get in touch.
The members of the Gunns13 continue to oppose the large scale destruction of Tasmania's unique high conservation value forest, and we
continue to campaign on behalf of these forests and on behalf of those who can't make it to the forests, chip mills, offices, and boardrooms
where this destruction is planned and executed.
continue to campaign on behalf of these forests and on behalf of those who can't make it to the forests, chip mills, offices, and boardrooms
where this destruction is planned and executed.
For the forests,
The Gunns13.
