Mr Green said today that he was concerned that recommendations by forestry peace talks facilitator Bill Kelty had been misunderstood in regard to any further assessment of the project.

"Mr Kelty has recommended a review to clarify areas of concern; he is not suggesting a whole new permit process and I absolutely rule out that notion," Mr Green said.

"All the permits to start building and operate the pulp mill have been granted to Gunns Limited. The permits are legitimate and it is Gunns' legal right to proceed on that basis.

"He (Mr Kelty) believes an independent person could look objectively at the facts to help allay concerns over the assessment process. Mr Kelty sees this as a way of trying to heal the wounds and bring the community closer by providing a workable understanding of the process."

Mr Green said that the government was now considering all of Mr Kelty's recommendations in his interim report on the statement of principles.