Dear Madam President,

The Hon. Amanda Fazio's question to Minister Egan on 10.04.2000 on the charcoal industry proposed for the far South Coast must have hit a raw nerve, since the Minister made a number of misleading statements. The charcoal factory is to be built in Broulee, which is south of Mogo and some 10 km north of Moruya. The plant will not give any employment to the local unemployed people, many of whom are Aborigines. The figures quoted by the Minister have been refuted in numerous submissions to PlanningNSW and by the Eurobodalla Shire Council. The proposal has already caused more unemployment by endangering developments in the tourist industry, and is vehemently opposed by the the Eurobodalla Tourism Board and the Batemans Bay Chamber of Commerce. The Hon. Amanda Fazio put a question without notice, but if the Minister doesn't know what he is talking about he should ask for the question to be tabled and reply after consulting Planning NSW and the Eurobodalla Shire Council

Dr Peter Hill
Canberra