I'd like to start by sharing one of my favourite quotes with you:

WE ONLY PRESERVE WHAT WE LOVE

WE ONLY LOVE WHAT WE UNDERSTAND

WE ONLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE STUDY

The Surfrider Foundation Tasmania is a group of local people who, over the past 2 years, have tried to understand the proposed pulp mill project, and what potential impact it may have on our lives as surfers in Tasmania.

We are a community of knock-around, "normal", every-day people, who have given up thousands of hours of time to study this project. A group of people who have put our lives on hold, contributed our own hard earned money to help fund a comprehensive scientific study into potential impacts of the proposed pulp mill on our north coast beaches.

A pulp mill that proposes to dump billions of litres of industrial effluent into a pristine stretch of coast along Bass Strait, right at one of our premier surf spots.

All this work to raise concerns, ask questions and see specific issues addressed, a process we would have expected to be comprehensive, clear and transparent.

The Surfrider Foundation has never stated it opposes a pulp mill in Tasmania. But standing here today, in front of you, I can say many of our questions and concerns have not been addressed, nor are they likely to be. So, how are we, a community group, able to say we support this project?

It may not surprise many of you that surfers would be passionate about ocean conservation, but it may surprise you that surfers, and the Surfrider Foundation International, already have a long history of conflict with, and legal action against, pulp mills around the world.

In the USA, Canada, and in Chile pulp mills have been found to have polluted the marine environment and caused human health impacts on recreational users of the coastline. Pulp mills that have been forced to change technology and clean up their act.

This has been achieved by community groups no different to our own through the use of global scientific resources energised by a passion and love for the ocean. Through this same network our local Tasmanian branch of Surfrider Foundation Australia has been able to recruit national and international scientists, some of them the best in their field, to help us in our integrated impact submission to the RPDC.

We were looking forward to public hearings. A chance to present our case. A chance to get feedback on our concerns and endevours. Our case outlined valid concerns with the proposed project and its impact on our beaches.

Where do we go from here under this new assessment project?

We have heard a lot of new information today. But if I could leave you to ponder two points that I think are of critical importance in this debate:

The RPDC process was not just a project assessment exercise, it was also about community inclusion in the planning of the proposed project. Many of those writing submissions had valid concerns that, if addressed in a fair manner, may have led to community support for the project. Due to a perceived failure in that regard, now there is only suspicion and community anger. Without community support, especially local community support, I can't fathom that this project will have long term viability. Cutting off the RPDC process and public hearings has sent a clear message on future community involvement.

Secondly, the marine environment, as I have found out in my journey, is an extremely complex ecosystem. It is one one piece of this jig saw puzzle. I'm no scientist but I've put in the hours trying to understand this project, and I fail to see how anyone, especially our local government and federal representatives, can make an informed decisions on this project unless they put in the same amount of time trying to understand. They are after all just people like our bunch of surfers.

What can you do to help address such concerns?

Don't stop at writing letters. Read widely on all the issues and concerns surrounding the pulp mill. Go beyond gathering knowledge from your local newspapers, phone a University and harness an academic. If you take the time to understand the issues in your own words, then you are in a better position to inform and lobby our politicians to do the same!

Putting the Surfrider Foundation perspective aside, I'd just like to finish today by taking the chance to say, that I personally wear many hats in this pulp mill debate. I moved back to Tasmania to invest in a in a different and unique lifestyle with my children... like many of you here today. I teach students at university, the future leaders of tomorrow, to apply rigorous analysis to the world in which they live. And I ,of course, want to surf clean oceans and this beautiful wild coast.

I'd like to say that although I wear these many hats, I don't wear any masks! I'm happy to speak up today of the things of which I'm proud. Don't be intimidated by this change of process, speak up and get involved in making sure your vision of Tasmania is also seen (and heard) by those who represent you.

Thank you.

Edited version of a speech by Peter Whish-Wilson, President Surfrider Foundation Australia Northern Tasmania. Delivered at the Albert Hall, in the north of Tasmania.

April 2007

Contact:  Peter Whish-Wilson 0410 754 728, pwhish-w@bigpond.net.au