“F… off,” Iain Collins yelled from the distance on Thursday morning as Hermal Group senior manager of special projects James Lantry, Resources Minister Guy Barnett, Burnie Mayor Alvwyn Boyd and Braddon Liberal candidate Brett Whiteley gathered for the mill site announcement.

“It’s a very special day,” Mr Barnett said.

“It’s a game changer for the timber industry and the North-West.”

“F… off,” Mr Collins yelled.

Mr Barnett said the plantation hardwood and engineered timber production facility would create 160 jobs in construction and more than 200 direct jobs when operational, plus hundreds more indirect jobs.

“ … on the back of a resurgent, rebuilding forest industry … we now have a state of the art timber manufacturing facility right here at the back of Burnie,” he said.

“F… off,” Mr Collins yelled.

Mr Lantry  said it was hoped to have the mill built and production started by 2020.

He said planning approval would be needed and the company did not see any insurmountable hurdle to that.

He said the site, near the Ridgley Hwy, was big enough to provide a large amount of setbacks and buffer zones.

He said it was expected to be a 40, 50 or 60-year project.

“F… off,”  Mr Collins yelled.

When Fairfax later called in on Mr Collins, the disability pensioner stressed he was not against the mill or the jobs, just the location.

“I think it’s fantastic; I just don’t want it at the end of my street,” he said.

“Would you like that s… in front of your place?

“The indignity of it.

“Why shouldn’t I have been told?

“I wonder if they’ll give me back the $100,000 they just dropped on my house (value).”

He expressed concerns about the extra traffic in the area and about water availability, and asked why the mill could not have been planned for further south,  away from housing.

Mr Lantry said the company did not expect to have a large log yard at the mill, which would require a lot of water, and planned to capture rainwater.

He said he would visit Mr Collins and would encourage him to attend a meeting about the project for Hampshire residents  to be held on the third weekend in June.

”It will be up to us to demonstrate to the community we will do everything we can to minimise the impact,” Mr Lantry said.

He said the site was chosen for reasons including its proximity to the Ridgley Hwy and the resource, minimising workforce travel and the size of the site.

He said that would allow setbacks and buffer zones.

Alderman Boyd said he had heard much positive community feedback about the project.

“It will be a massive thing for our Coast and Burnie,” he said.

“The community has been hanging out for downstreaming.

“It’s a wonderful, wonderful project for Burnie and the Coast.

“I hear it all the time.”

Mr Whiteley said: “This is what we see when we get the economic conditions of a state and a nation correct.”

“Today is a perfect example of what happens when you get the conditions right.”

Mr Lantry said the company appreciated the support it had received from the government, the opposition,  the Greens and Tasmanians.

“It is fair to say that this project is only happening because of the recognition of the long-term needs by the Tasmanian government’s coordinator-general, John Perry, and the subsequent support from the Tasmanian government and, in particular, Premier Hodgman and Minister Barnett,” he said.