The long-awaited State of the Environment Report paints a dire picture of lutruwita/Tasmania’s environmental health, with nearly two thirds of key environmental indicators in decline or rated poor.
The sick state of our environment is deeply concerning, but it’s no surprise. The Greens, community members, and independent scientists have long recognised the declining state of the environment and the apathy of government, and have been raising the alarm.
Despite long-term concerns, Liberal politicians have failed to protect – or in many cases even monitor – Tasmania’s environment. Too often they’ve made active decisions to put the interests of business ahead of the environment.
This report highlights many challenges for this island’s unique environment. There’s climate change, threatened species in decline, pollution, inappropriate development, damage caused by invasive species and land clearing – the list goes on. But the Liberals have had their heads in the sand, which is why this report shows so many environmental indicators going backwards.
We’ve always said Liberal politicians cannot keep allowing their corporate mates and vested interests to ravage Tasmania’s environment, and that proper environmental protections are needed. The State of the Environment Report gives clear direction on steps forward, and the Liberals should take notice and take action.
This report makes a range of important recommendations, many of which are measures the Greens have been highlighting for years. It reinforces the need for meaningful action responding to climate change, protecting threatened species, expanding reserves, managing waterways, eradicating invasive species, creating more Marine Protected Areas, and much more.
On top of its many important findings, the SOE Report also shows there’s still much about lutruwita/Tasmania’s environment we still don’t know. That has to change. Monitoring of our life-giving soil and rivers, as well as the waste we produce, must be urgently improved.
This report should be a wake-up call for the Rockliff Government. It’s time for the Liberals to end their decade of destruction, delay and denial, and to finally step up to protect Tasmania’s environment.
