The Bob Brown Foundation has called out the Tasmanian Liberal Government for overseeing “massive environmental destruction”, as it prepares for its nationwide rally for native forests on 3 November. Photo: Facebook.
The Tasmanian Government has released its first State of the Environment Report in 15 years, revealing largely poor results for the island’s management of resources.
With a huge decline in vital habitats highlighted in the report, the Bob Brown Foundation claims it shows how the Liberal Government has overseen massive environmental destruction at the behest of the loggers, miners and industrial fish farmers.
Despite the government being required under the State Policies and Projects Act 1993 to provide an update to this report every five years, it’s not been done since 2009.
Using environmental data, trends and progress across Tasmania, the state’s independent Planning Commission produced this report as required under the State Policies and Projects Act 1993.
After being tabled in Parliament, Housing and Planning Minister Felix Ellis thanked the report’s contributors instead of Environment Minister Roger Jaensch.
“Our environment is the envy of many across the globe, and we remain committed to managing our natural assets in a sound and sensible way – including by leveraging this natural and sustainable resource for the benefit of Tasmanians,” he said.
“We are committed to sustainable management of our environment while also continuing to pursue economic development opportunities, ensuring Tasmania remains the best place to live, work and raise a family.”
While the Tasmanian Government is still yet to respond to its 16 recommendations, several interest groups have come forward to voice their disappointment at its findings.
Nearly two-thirds of the report’s 29 environmental indicators are rated as declining or in poor condition, including 50 per cent of the indicators for coastal and marine environments.
Director of the Australia Institute’s Tasmania branch, Eloise Carr, welcomed the report but is alarmed by its “scathing indictment of the Tasmanian Government’s environmental mismanagement”.
“It is clear from [the] budget that all the Government intends to do about the report is read it,” she said.
“They have not put any money towards implementing its recommendations or preparing the next one.
“Instead, they have slashed the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s budget by $400,000.”
Ms Carr claims the report reveals “serious deficiencies” in Tasmania’s environmental monitoring programs, such that “government agencies do not have data to be able to make strategic decisions about the use of natural resources”.
“The Tasmanian Planning Commission has failed to consider the impact of poor environmental health on human wellbeing, account against United Nations frameworks, or incorporate Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples’ rights and knowledge throughout its assessments,” she added.
“It is unacceptable that in 2024 we cannot report on the state of our rivers and wetlands.”
The Australia Institute Director also noted that it took the threat of legal action, supported by the Environmental Defenders Officer, for the Tasmanian Government to comply with its own laws and publish the report.
After the report was tabled in Tasmanian Parliament, Greens’ Leader Dr Rosalie Woodruff denounced Premier Jeremy Rockliff for allegedly refusing to accept any responsibility for its findings of environmental degradation.
She also claims he refused to commit to better protections for the environment.
“It’s not acceptable for the Rockliff Government to deny the science, or back in their corporate mates to continue to trash Tasmania’s environment,” said the Member for Franklin. “Yet in Parliament, that’s exactly what the Premier did.
“It’s shameful to see Premier Rockliff instead continuing to support the Liberal’s corporate mates in the forestry and aquaculture industries, who have destroyed the environment unchecked for the last decade.
“This report is damning and demands a proper response.”
