This National Threatened Species Day, the Greens are calling on the Liberal Government to take real action to protect Tasmania’s native animals from the threats caused by industry and development.
The Rockliff Government continues to deny and excuse the terrible impacts that human activities are having on habitat and species populations, driving those species to extinction.
With more than 650 threatened species listed in Tasmania, turning a blind eye to threats, persisting with pathetic regulation and defunding government recovery responses is just not good enough. Iconic species like Tasmanian devil, Swift Parrot and Maugean skate simply cannot afford apathy, ignorance or outright disregard for their future.
Developments like the Robbins Island Wind Farm threaten the last disease-free Tasmanian devil populations, yet the Liberals are riding roughshod over process retrospectively approve construction.
Logging of native forest destroys life-giving habitat for our threatened species, but it remains self-regulated and government agreement exempts it from federal laws. With fewer than 300 Swift Parrots left in our skies, logging nesting and feeding trees is driving them to extinction.
The science is clear, toxic salmon farming is killing the Maugean skate, but millions of dollars are spent on treating the symptoms, not addressing the cause.
In a biodiversity crisis, the Liberal Government must end the excuses and strengthen protections to save our precious native species. Tasmania’s wildlife needs a biodiversity strategy and funding for threatened species survival, environment laws that work, and a truly independent EPA with the power to enforce them.
