A dispute with salmon company Tassal is being blamed for halting plans to use Dover to export woodchips.
Southwood Fibre today withdrew its proposal for a Woodchip Port in Dover, Australia.
CEO of Southwood Fibre James Neville-Smith told ABC news that the $42 million Strathblane project would not go ahead due to a stand off with the state’s biggest salmon producer.
Tassal was worried about the impact the woodchip export business would have on fish health and said that the plant could not operate so close to its fish farms. Dover is Tassal’s primary processing facility, receiving whole fish straight from their harvest vessel.
“The issues between the salmon industry and the forest industry cannot be resolved at this site,” Mr Neville-Smith told ABC news.”We needed their support to progress further, which we thought we had.
Tassal said that they welcomed the news.
“The concern with the proposal was always in relation to the proximity of our lease because of biosecurity concerns,” the company said. “We have maintained this position from day one.”
