29 October 2024
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has rubbed salt into the wounds of Tasmanians with her secretive overnight decision to again prolong the end date of her interminable review of salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour.
Salmon industry workers across Tasmania and their families are already reeling from Minister Plibersek’s decision in November 2023 to review aquaculture licences in Tasmania at the request of an activist organisation the Labor Government funds – the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) – as well as the Greens-aligned Bob Brown Foundation and Australia Institute. This followed claims from the three groups that the Maugean Skate was in danger of extinction because of the salmon industry.
Ms Plibersek’s lazy decision, announced discretely in one paragraph on a long Departmental webpage, to defer a final assessment until at least October 2025 duds all Tasmanians with a stake in this issue. Shadow Environment, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Jonno Duniam:
“Another year of uncertainty is a year too long for salmon industry workers and their families who are suffering from the Sydney-based Minister’s decision that threw their jobs in a sustainable industry into uncertainty.”
“Tanya Plibersek is kicking Tasmania while we are down. The Minister is washing her hands of responsibility by delaying a decision until after the election when she is, in all likelihood, not going to be the Environment Minister anymore.”
“This is the latest decision by the Albanese Government to override the wishes of state governments, following the disastrous McPhillamys goldmine decision in New South Wales. This terrible Federal Labor Government could not care less about regional, sustainable jobs and would rather harvest Green votes in Sydney.”
“Labor need to do the right thing by Tasmanians and our workers by acting on the evidence that the Skate has good prospects and guaranteeing that salmon jobs will be protected immediately.”