The Greens welcome the Federal Environment Minister’s visit to Tasmania, but are concerned to see Tanya Plibersek spending her time lining up with the resources industry, with cursory focus on environmentalists.
Minister Plibersek is purportedly in Tasmania to undertake an in-person assessment of the proposed site of a toxic waste dump in takayna/Tarkine, but her schedule raises questions about whether she’s already made up her mind.
Tanya Plibersek has denied repeated requests from the Bob Brown Foundation to meet with them directly, and to visit the proposed waste dump site with them, saying she has no time on her two-day visit. But the Minister found time to dine with mining industry officials, and to spend hours on location with them.
It seems Minister Plibersek has forgotten she’s the Minister for the Environment, not the Minister for Resources. Her obligation is to ensure Australia’s biodiversity is protected, our species and ecosystems, instead of facilitating the interests of multi-national mining companies.
When she’s home in inner-city Sydney Tanya Plibersek might pretend she’s all for environmental protection. The proof of that claim will be whether she approves, or rejects, a mining waste dump in this very special part of takayna/Tarkine. The way she’s lined up with the mining industry on this visit suggests we have are right to be sceptical.
