Today I went for a paddle with the inimitable Frankie J Holden.
He's got his own surf Kayak which he uses to scare people down at Pambula Beach, his local break, so he brought that along and we went for a paddle around Merimbula harbour together. Talking to Frank about the proposed mill in Tassie was great, and I was really impressed by the considered approach he has to social and environental issues. He obviously cares about issues like water, land care, climate change and biodiversity, and we talked about the importance of careful scientific evaluation of projects before decisions are made. He also has an enourmous amount of compassion for people and their livelihoods.
Frank was really positive about the approach I'm taking to Gunns proposed pulp mill in Tassie. We both recognised that these issues are complex, that a balanced approach is required, and that if thought can be be given to sustainable alternatives from the beginning, its a lot easier than trying to fix things up afterwards.
He wished me well, and called me a mad bastard, whch is about as high a compliment as one Aussie bloke could give to another, and invited me to the Sapphire Rock concert on Sunday.
Many thanks to Frank for his support
I also spoke to Gary Nairn, federal MP for Eden-Monaro this morning.
I'll tell you about that later.
Till tomorrow,
Sim