4Assessment against guidelines

4 Assessment against guidelines

(1)  The Minister is to appoint a consultant to undertake an assessment of the project, subject to subsection (2) , against the guidelines.

(2)  In undertaking an assessment under subsection (1) , the consultant must take into account –

(a) developments in pulping technology and techniques that have occurred since August 2004; and

(b) current best available technology and environmental emission limits for a bleached kraft pulp mill processing both pine and eucalypt; and

(c) the documents received by or prepared for the Resource Planning and Development Commission for the purposes of its assessment of the project under the State Policies and Projects Act 1993 including, but not limited to, the information provided by Gunns Limited (ACN 009 478 148) to the Resource Planning and Development Commission in response to the Final Scope Guidelines for the Integrated Impact Statement – Proposed Bleached Kraft Pulp Mill in Northern Tasmania as proposed by Gunns Limited.

(3)  After undertaking an assessment of the project under subsection (1) , the consultant is to report to the Minister, based on that assessment, that –

(a) the project should proceed; or

(b) the project should not proceed.

(4)  If the consultant reports to the Minister that the project should proceed, the consultant is, in his or her report, to –

(a) state whether or not the project complies with the guidelines; and

(b) provide reasons as to why the project should proceed; and

(c) recommend matters to be considered in the conditions that should apply to the project.