Ta Ann quitting Tasmania would be disastrous for Circular Head, mayor Daryl Quilliam said. The timber processor’s board will make a call on whether it has a Tasmanian future within a fortnight. Source: The Advocate, Timberbiz, ABC
If it goes, 40-50 jobs will go at Smithton and about the same number in the Huon, plus others.
The company already cut its workforce from 161 in April due to what spokesman Alan Ashbarry described as market attacks.
Losing 40-50 jobs would probably cost the district a further 15 or so, Cr Quilliam estimated.
“The sad part is the new dairy factory has just been commissioned and, assuming Shree Mineral goes ahead (with a mine plan), we’re just about on a wave of recuperating. This would be a huge setback we can’t afford.”
He was hopeful Ta Ann could get the guarantee of supply it needed within the two weeks.
Ta Ann has been targeted by protesters and market campaigns and remains uncertain of ongoing, adequate timber supply.
Liberal Senator Richard Colbeck said the environmentalists have clearly signalled that they are comfortable playing with the lives of 160 workers and $80 million in Tasmanian investment.
“If you weren’t aware of green tactics, the first protest at Smithton’s Ta Ann mill could be written off as horribly ill-conceived,” he said. “This new action is reckless, insensitive and just plain dumb.”
Senator Colbeck was responding to news 18 protesters, including children, were attempting to disrupt operations at Ta Ann’s Judbury Mill in southern Tasmania and coincides with police investigations of a fire set outside Ta Ann’s Hobart headquarters causing $10,000 damage.
Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings has accused wealthy businessmen of bankrolling fringe environmental groups whose protests are threatening the forest industry.
Premier Giddings told Parliament she was absolutely appalled by the action, saying it put at risk informal talks to end Tasmania’s decades-long forest wars.
“I think it is absolutely disgraceful what they are doing right now in trying to threaten an agreement which would, in fact, provide them with more trees than they’ve ever had before.”
