Environment no voice in Government

TASMANIA’S landscapes, iconic wildlife and 1800s built environment are the special features that both tourists and locals appreciate and value.

However, these features are not properly protected by the State Government because there is no spokesman at the Cabinet table to fairly and forcefully speak up for the environment.

The current arrangement of the same person being Minister for State Growth and Minister for the Environment threatens Tasmania’s future as a clean and green place to visit and do business, and for locals to enjoy.

The inherent conflict in this situation jeopardises a sustainable future for Tasmania, makes the Government’s claim to be environmentally responsible disingenuous at best, and calls into question whether the Government is governing for all of us.

The promotion of issues such as fish farming in Okehampton Bay, logging of old-growth forests, inappropriate highrise hotels in Hobart, the plight of penguins statewide, severe cutting of resources in the Parks and Wildlife Service, continued access over Aboriginal cultural heritage sites in the ArthurPieman area and tourism development in World Heritage Areas, among others, highlight the weakness of the voice for the environment in the Government. Andrew Walter Blackmans Bay