The picnic gave people the opportunity to air their concerns about the proposed use of the area for the Gunns pulp mill water pipeline.

Individuals and family groups armed with picnic rugs and camp chairs were at the reserve to hear speeches from politicians, aldermen, lobby groups and local residents.

Launceston Alderman Jeremy Ball was among those who voiced concern that public areas of the state-owned reserve would be lost because of Gunns' interests.

Alderman Ball, of Trevallyn, said he was concerned that the reserve's grassy woodlands and abundance of native birdlife that his family loved were under threat.

When a piece of land was legally created into a public reserve, it should remain a place for the public to use, he said.

Among the people who used the reserve were George and Margaret Loughborough, of Kayena - only four kilometres from the pulp mill site.

The couple used to live in Victoria's Latrobe Valley but moved to Tasmania for clean air after the Maryvale craft pulp mill was built near their home, Mr Loughborough said.

The clean air they came for was being threatened, he said.

Other speakers included TV personality Peter Cundall, TAP Into a Better Future spokesman Bob McMahon, Bass Greens MHA Kim Booth, students Kaeo Landon- Lane and Leila McMahon-Kunta, Friends of Trevallyn Reserve's Bruce Jackson and The Wilderness Society's Paul Oosting.

Gunns spokesman Matt Horan declined to comment on the event.

- James Reynolds, University of Tasmania journalism student