At a Directions Hearing today Justice Kaye made numerous orders in relation to the future conduct of the 4 year legal battle initiated by Gunns Ltd. A further directions hearing will be held on 22 May 2009 after which a trial date is expected to be announced.

Remaining defendants in the Gunns20 case will reject an offer by Gunns Ltd to settle the case. Gunns made the offer on 3 April 2009. Accepting the offer would require defendants to pay Gunns’ legal costs and to give extensive undertakings restricting their activities and movements in Tasmania.

At a Directions Hearing this morning Gunns discontinued its case against Ben Morrow (defendant #13) as it relates to the Styx part of the claim. This concerned alleged protests in the Styx valley in 2003. Mr Morrow is now out of the case entirely. Mr Morrow has not given any undertakings in relation to engaging in protest or entering Gunns’ land. Gunns have been ordered to pay Mr Morrow’s legal costs of the Styx claim estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

In a Directions Hearing this morning in the Victorian Supreme Court, Gunns Ltd asked for the case to be set down for trial. His Honour Justice Kaye rejected this and ordered the parties to continue with mediation. A directions hearing will be held on 30 April 2009.

It was announced today that Gunns have settled its legal action, commenced in 2004, against the Wilderness Society, Heidi Douglas, Leanne Minshull and Alec Marr. In a remarkable twist Gunns have agreed to pay the Wilderness Society $350,000 to settle the case.

Gunns Ltd has launched another law suit in the long-running controversy surrounding the woodchipping of native forest in Tasmania. This is a separate suit to that launched against the Gunns20 in December 2004. At present there remain 11 defendants in the original Gunns 20 case. Dr Frank Nicklason (one of the original Gunns20) is also being sued by Gunns for defamation in a separate action.

The text of the speech is set out below.

Senator BOB BROWN (Tasmania—Leader of the Australian Greens) (1.19 pm)—I thank the Senate for allowing me to have these few minutes.

This week Gunns Ltd pleaded guilty in a Tasmanian court to the

The Supreme Court of Victoria has ordered Gunns to pay $91000.00 in legal costs to Senator Bob Brown, Peg Putt and Helen Gee. This follows these three defendants being dropped from the case in April 2007.

The Victorian Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by Gunns following the court’s earlier rejection of Gunns’ application for further documents from The Wilderness Society. Justice Kaye ordered Gunns to pay The Wilderness Society’s costs of the appeal. The judgment is attached.

Defendant number 2, Geoff Law was today discharged from the Gunns case following settlement for an undisclosed sum relating to a protest in the Styx Valley in 2003. The Hobart Mercury has quoted Mr Law as stating the settlement was “less than 10 per cernt of $180,000 Gunns was seeking”. The Wilderness has issued a media release which is attached. Geoff Law is the Wilderness Society’s Tasmanian Campaign Manager.