Protesters rallied against salmon farming in Tasmania on Sunday, the same day Peter Dutton pledged his firm support for the industry. (ABC News: Eliza Kloser)
Elections are often about appearances, not details.
The Coalition paints Labor as too “green” and “not pro-local jobs”, a view that is easily propagated in regional communities and suburbs.
On the other hand, the Greens believe that Labor is too “pro-industry” at the expense of endangered species and global obligations, which is good news for increasingly progressive voters.
Labour may be in trouble again.
Anthony Albanese announced funding to save the endangered moggian rays in Macquarie Harbour. (ABC News: Sandy Powell)
Dutton backs salmon farming even if threatened species status worsens
Photo shows protesters on the water at a rally against salmon farming in Tasmania.
Peter Dutton says the Coalition government will not ban salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour in Tasmania even if the moggian rays are upgraded to critically endangered.
Tasmania has no shortage of political divisions, particularly when it comes to industry and the environment.
This state, after all, is the site of the Lake Ped and Franklin Dam disputes.
There are also some seats up for grabs in 2025.
“If we win the seat of Lyons we can get rid of Anthony Albanese as prime minister,” Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said in southeast Tasmania on Sunday.
The tailings dam at the MMG mine outside Rowbury on Tasmania’s west coast in 2021. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
Jobs, jobs, jobs
As a result, Tasmania was again in the national spotlight last week, this time with the focus on Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and the salmon farming industry.
Mr Albanese may be somewhat consternled by Ms Plibersek’s comments that a 2012 approval for further expansion of the industry at Macquarie Port on the west coast is ongoing until the election.
Atlantic salmon is a non-native species farmed by three major companies in Tasmanian waters, with an estimated catch of about 9,500 tonnes of Atlantic salmon expected to be caught at Macquarie Port in 2024. (Image credit: Bob Brown Foundation)
The move comes at the request of green groups after research showed a lack of dissolved oxygen, caused mainly by salmon farming, has led to a decline in the number of endangered Morgiana rays.
Its endangered status could be upgraded to critically endangered, but Mr Dutton said that would not stop him from allowing salmon farming at current levels in the port.
It has reignited the election-time debate over regional jobs, endangered species and whether Ms Plibersek really has the power to make decisions.
But it’s not the only federal environmental issue in Tasmania that remains unresolved after yet another election cycle.
There is also the Robbins Island wind farm and tailings dam project.
The proposed Robbins Island wind farm is located off the northwest coast of Tasmania. (ABC News: Piia Wirsu)
Bipartisan outrage over wind farm delay
Politically speaking, the 100-turbine wind farm proposed for Robbins Island off the northwest coast is unique.
In contrast to the federal Coalition’s apparent skepticism towards wind energy, the Tasmanian Liberal Party fully supports wind energy as a potential solution to the state’s energy needs.
Threat to parrot species dismissed and wind farm approved
The photo shows the Wuornos Wind Farm as seen from Robins Island, with an orange-bellied parrot nearby.
A condition imposed on the proposal to terminate a large wind farm because it was located on the migratory route of an endangered bird species was struck down on appeal – prompting a sharp response from veteran environmental activist Bob Brown.
However, the Greens and environmental groups are opposed to it because of the impact it would have on populations of Tasmanian devils, which have no facial tumours, and the critically endangered migratory orange-bellied parrot.
The bill requires the approval of the federal government, which last week confirmed Ms Plibersek’s decision had been extended until March.
A spokesman for the environment department said: “Additional time is needed to work through the complex issues involved in this project and ensure all relevant information is thoroughly considered.
Federal officials have previously expressed concern about the loss of Tasmanian devil habitat and whether alternative sites for wind farms have been adequately studied.
Labor knows the importance of key Tasmanian seats at the next election. (ABC News: Luke Stephenson)
Tasmania’s Environment Protection Authority is also appealing to the Supreme Court to decide whether the state’s coastal policy was considered. The case is still pending and the state government is trying to amend the coastal policy.
But Ms Plibersek’s latest delay has sparked anger from the state government, the state Labor opposition and industry groups.
“They are using our productive industries as a weapon to gain green support in Melbourne and Sydney,” Deputy Premier Guy Barnett said on Monday.
He was unable to say whether Mr Dutton supported the wind farm, only that he supported the Marinus Link interconnector, which itself could rely on the construction of the wind farm.
The government says there are about 50 orange-bellied parrots in the wild. (Image credit: Pradeep Pandiyan)
Tailings dam on the backburner
MMG, which is partly owned by China, has been looking to build a new tailings storage facility for its zinc, copper and lead mines in the state’s northwest.
But because it is located in Tacana/Takini, the 2021 blockade lasted five months, which was strongly opposed by environmental organizations such as the Bob Brown Foundation.
Ms Pribesek’s approval was needed for the road clearing and drilling works, which included 70 drilling rigs covering more than 600 square metres.
The dam itself can hold 25 million cubic metres of acid sulphides, which MMG argues is necessary to keep the mine operating after 2030.
Owl helps Bob Brown group win court battle against mine
Photo of an aerial view of a tailings dam in a forest and an illustration of a masked owl.
The Federal Court has ruled that the Morrison government’s approval of a tailings dam in a Tasmanian wilderness area is invalid, prompting calls for people arrested during protests there to be compensated as “citizen heroes”.
There has been significantly less political noise from both the Liberal and Labor parties about the MMG project than there has been about the salmon farm and Robbins Island.
However, last year federal Liberal Braddon MP Gavin Pearce said the nearby community of Rosebery had been “left in limbo” for two years because of the federal government’s failure to make a decision.
That approval could depend on its impact on the endangered masked owl, or MMG could change its plans entirely.
Unless the Coalition wants to make the mines an election issue.
A juvenile mogi ray feeds in captivity. The species is only found in Port Macquarie. (Photo: David Moreno)
Three of five Tasmanian electorates could be in play
Plibersek blames climate target delay on green tape
Tanya Plibersek attends a press conference at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
The environment minister said the government must wait for advice from the Climate Change Authority, but the agency has yet to finalise its recommendations.
The three specific proposals were all introduced in the increasingly conservative riding of Braddon, where the Liberals hold an 8 per cent lead.
But there are some caveats to this range.
First, the incumbent MP, Pierce, is retiring, and the Liberals will elect a relatively unknown candidate, Mal Hingston, who appears to have some similarities to Pierce.
Second, during the last election, a Labor candidate was accused of historic drug offences.
The third Labor candidate is the more high-profile Anne Urquhart, who has been a Tasmanian senator for 13 years and has recently been hailed by the industry as the “Salmon Champion.
Decision on endangered skate put off until next federal election
The photo shows two salmon farming pens in the waterway.
A decision on whether to put the moggian rays, which share habitat with salmon farms, on the endangered species list will not be made until after next year’s federal election.
This is one of three interesting races in Tasmania at the next federal election.
Lyons covers much of central and eastern Tasmania and was won by Labor by just 0.9 per cent, a margin that has narrowed with each election.
In an election where Labor may have to do everything in its power to avoid an unfavorable outcome, the Liberals will put Lyons on their list of “likely to win” candidates.
That was until Labor MP Brian Mitchell withdrew, leaving former Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White to run for the seat.
Despite leading Labor to three consecutive defeats, she still has a very high personal electoral popularity in state elections.
Both Labor and the Liberals believe a debate over regional jobs is vital to winning Lyons – hence the focus on salmon.
Finally, in Bass, moderate Liberal MP Bridget Archer defeated Bass by just 1.4 per cent, becoming the first incumbent to hold on to the seat in 20 years.
Bath is normally a key battleground but Labour has yet to announce its candidate.