The Liberal Government have finally responded to the Independent Review of the Climate Change Act. Disappointingly, their response fails to understand the urgency and reality of the situation Tasmania is facing.
The Review noted, “Stakeholder confidence in the Tasmanian Government’s ability to deliver meaningful climate outcomes remains low”. Well, that won’t be changing after the Government’s poor response.
The Independent Review into Tasmania’s Climate Change Act recognised that Tasmania’s net zero status is only achieved through the island carbon-storing native forests. A range of pressures, from logging to fire, is putting this at risk.
The Review recommended changes which the Greens have been advocating for for a long time, including an independent body, sectoral emissions reductions targets and effective, statewide adaptation planning. Stronger climate action is widely supported by the community, who’ve long called for real climate action from the all levels of government and all parties.
While the Liberals have supported two of the recommendations of the Review in full and five in principle, the actual actions they’ve committed to tells a different story. It’s the same lack of response which climate advocacy groups have already condemned publicly.
The Review recommended an independent body to increase government accountability for climate action. Instead, the government are merely refreshing their ineffective and industry-heavy Climate Change Reference Group.
The Review also recommended that a separate adaptation planning process be developed, to ensure Tasmanians are ready to face climate impacts. There’s a monster El Nino forming in the eastern Pacific which is already driving weather extremes including rolling heatwaves and raging wildfires in Europe and Canada. Tasmania won’t be immune from its impacts, but the Liberals are still in denial.
There is very little evidence of effective adaptation planning and emergency preparedness at the State level. In their response to the Review, the Liberals are pushing any updated improvements to adaptation out to the development of their next Climate Action Plan, which is years away.
While the Review supported genuinely cutting emissions through sectoral targets, the Liberals are continuing on with their pro-industry, weak approach which is just going to see Tasmania’s emissions continue business as usual.
Tasmanians are already experiencing the effects of a changing climate and there are very hot days ahead. Scientists and insurance companies are sounding the alarm but the Rockliff Government have put their fingers in their collective ears.
The Liberal Government have a duty to keep Tasmanians safe. Their failure to act on reducing emissions and planning for a climate safe Tasmania is both shameful and dangerous.
