The Greens are calling on the Federal Labor Government to halt the hasty sale of significant public land until there can be a proper discussion about how this land can best be used to benefit the people of Tasmania.
It’s disappointing to see the news of this public land sale hit real estate news before a conversation with the Tasmanian community took place. Flogging off this land to the highest private bidder without consideration to how it can better be utilised in the public interest would be a missed opportunity.
Included among the fifteen defence properties the Federal Government plans to divest from across Tasmania are key sites for desperately needed housing developments, as well as places of great cultural and natural value.
There is exciting potential for sites such as the Derwent Barracks to be used for housing or other essential infrastructure. Fort Direction and other sites have significant Aboriginal heritage values which must be protected, and a genuine conversation needs to be had with the Tasmanian Aboriginal community about their protection.
Land at both Buckland and Stony Head is home to rare and vulnerable flora and fauna species, critical biodiversity which should be safeguarded for future generations as formal reserves.
There are also questions about the condition of some defence sites, including whether legacy contamination such as soil toxins may require remediation, which the State Government must ensure the Federal Government commits to fully addressing prior to any land transfer.
It is essential that the Federal Government halts the sale of these public lands to allow for a proper conversation about how they can continue to be used in the public interest. Not to do so would be a missed opportunity for Tasmanians and our natural environment.
