Silence as Triabunna wharf sale process begins

THE State Government is remaining tight-lipped about what it hopes will be achieved through the sale of the Triabunna wharf.

The wharf, built to export woodchips from the former Triabunna mill, is landlocked by the mill site that is now owned by entrepreneur Graeme Wood.

Mr Wood has plans to turn the site into a multimillion-dollar tourism development and has previously been in negotiations to buy the wharf and open it to multiple uses.

But Tasports will today begin advertising the wharf’s sale through an open expressions-of-interest process.

Tasports would not comment on the sale process yesterday, other than to confirm it was happening and the process would run for more than a month.

The assets for sale include the wharf, associated infrastructure and the seabed titles.

The wharf’s sale coincides with an expressions-of-interest process for a solution to the lack of a southern woodchip export port.

Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding also declined to comment on the Triabunna wharf sale. A spokesman said it was inappropriate to comment on a Tasports commercial process.

Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor Michael Kent said there were differing views in the community about what should happen to the wharf.

However, Cr Kent said it was difficult to see how there could be any outcome other than the wharf being sold to Mr Wood.

Cr Kent said the council was yet to receive any development application relating to the Spring Bay Mill project.

A parliamentary committee inquiring into the sale and destruction of the Triabunna mill last year recommended against selling the wharf.

This was despite Tasports chairman Dan Norton telling the committee last August that Tasports was already negotiating with Mr Wood over the wharf’s sale, as it was in a state of disrepair and had become a liability to taxpayers. Mr Wood could not be contacted yesterday.