Ms O’CONNOR – Just back to the endangered migratory bird blender that is Robbins Island.
Mr DUIGAN – Those are your words.
Ms O’CONNOR – It is the fact of the consequence.
CHAIR – If the minister could just ignore those inflammatory comments and respond to questions.
Mr DUIGAN – The minister finds it challenging.
Ms O’CONNOR – We are all capable of making inflammatory comments on this side of the table and it’s done in good spirits.
Mr DUIGAN – Indeed.
Ms O’CONNOR – I don’t think you so mind.
CHAIR – But it wastes time.
Ms O’CONNOR – We’ve just been through a very long session that was not time wasting, but I’m now asking questions. I just ask to be let to ask my question. Minister, funding for the Orange-bellied Parrot Migration Tracking Program was cut in this year’s budget and won’t continue into the forward Estimates.
One of the Federal Environment Minister’s conditions for approval of Robbins Island is that developer ACEN Aust has to provide funding for an orange-bellied parrot conservation program. Have conversations been had with ACEN about this program, their funding and how it will be rolled out.
Mr DUIGAN – Yes, would be the short answer and I have a strong memory of a commitment from ACEN. Noting that ACEN are already doing monitoring and have been for a good period of time. but in terms of what the the detail of that is, Vanessa, have you that commitment ACEN has made?
Ms PINTO – Under the recent EPBC approvals, my understanding is there is a period of time they must undertake monitoring. It’s over a three-year period that they’re required to undertake monitoring and there are other related conditions associated with that. I don’t have the exact details of all those, those conditions, but as I understand it, again, excuse me, this is my memory, there may be up to 80 conditions associated with the recent ..[? 9.56].. products.
Ms O’CONNOR – That’s right. The conditions as I understand it was about an orange-bellied parrot conservation program, and it doesn’t sound like you’re across that.
Mr DUIGAN – No, it’s an EPA condition so it sits there. I have a memory of reading something about that and the company being required to contribute to that program. But again, happy to see what we can find and provide that for you.
Ms O’CONNOR – If I put questions on notice it would be whether there have been any conversations or meeting with ACEN about the conservation program for the orange-bellied parrot. What level of funding might be allocated and also how that funding would be administered and whether it’ll be provided to NRET to continue with the Orange-bellied Parrot Migration Tracking Program, which has been in place as you know minister, ever since we really
Ms O’CONNOR – (cont) really started driving it towards extinction.
Mr DUIGAN – I would note that is an Environment portfolio question.
Ms O’CONNOR – Yes, but it also as you know, impacts on your portfolio because of the impact of the policy decisions of your government on migratory birds, including the orange-bellied parrot. You can’t remove yourself completely from the consequence of the policy decision –
Mr DUIGAN – I will ask if the EPA if they can provide the details of that.
Ms O’CONNOR – Is there an acceptance –
CHAIR – Will the EPA have information on that? We are hearing them later, Cassy. Maybe you could re-ask them.
Ms O’CONNOR – Yeah, I will re-ask them, but I’m also going to ask now.
Originally, in ACEN’s assessment of the impact of its turbines on the orange-bellied parrot – the assessment was that the impact would be remote. I think I heard that sort of echo by government, even though Robbins Island is a flyway for the orange-bellied parrot.
Mr DUIGAN – Well, it’s certainly a feeding ground for them. The turbines have been removed from those areas and are well set back from the coast where typically –
Ms O’CONNOR – Are you going to tell the birds where not to go?
Mr DUIGAN – They go where they are attracted to go, which is where the food – anyway, there are people who know much more about it than me who are satisfied.
Ms O’CONNOR – Well, that’s not particularly reassuring. Does the government, and indeed ACEN, understand the likely impacts of the Robbins Island development not only on orange-bellied parrots, but on other migratory bird species, given that Robbins Island was twice recommended to be listed as a Ramsar site of international significance for migratory birds?
Mr DUIGAN – What I would say is that very few people understand better the circumstances of Robbins Island, what happens on Robbins Island, the wildlife interactions on Robbins Island. The Hammond family who’ve been there for a very long period of time, for people such as David Pollington and Maddie Skerat who have been endeavouring to progress this project for literally decades, Robbins Island has been looked at again and again. Everyone’s been there –
Ms O’CONNOR – And rejected previously because of its impact on threatened species, including the Tasmanian devil.
Mr DUIGAN – Everyone has had their input or had their questions. It it has progressed through, not a cardboard box kind of approvals process. This has been tested at every juncture. Still it remains a viable, really important generating opportunity for Tasmania. I don’t say that flippantly or without consideration to the points you raise, but believe they have been mitigated and are able to be mitigated.
Ms O’CONNOR – Robbins Island contains, as I understand it, a population of Tasmanian devils that are disease free. We’re now seeing the expansion of the devil facial tumour disease into the north-west, into previously disease-free areas. What mitigations will the government make sure are in place to protect that population, given that there will be a connection from Robbins Island to the mainland where the disease is spreading?
Mr DUIGAN – It’s important to recognise there is a connection that exists currently. At times the tide is such that animals and people can freely traverse to and from Robbins. I would not argue that a bridge would make it easier and more likely that animals will traverse to and from Robbins.
Ms O’CONNOR – You would not argue with that?
Mr DUIGAN – I don’t think so. I think there are mitigation measures being contemplated for the bridge that would seek to minimise those –
Ms O’CONNOR – Can we understand them? I am happy to move on once we’ve got an answer.
Mr DUIGAN – If there is somebody in the room that can tell me about the detail of what has –
CHAIR – Keeping in mind it’s a private bridge, not a public bridge.
Mr DUIGAN – It’s not a government bridge, but there are likely conditions that have been placed upon it that would seek to do those things.
Ms PINTO – I am making reference to information that I’ve received from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania. In relation to devils, the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program does a lot of documentation understanding of the movements of devils, just to understand the way they navigate their way around different regions of the state. They have nine long-term sites that they do monitor devil patterns.
There is one site that is within close proximity to Woolnorth and Robbins Island, and they’ve actually been examining what’s been occurring. Since August 2024, they’ve been monitoring and at that time they recorded their first confirmed case of a devil with the tumour at Woolnorth.
Ms O’CONNOR – I don’t know if that’s been confirmed publicly yet. I mean, we had heard that this was the case, but I’m not sure that that’s been confirmed.
Ms PINTO – I’m just making reference to some information.
Ms O’CONNOR – No, no, its actually good information, it’s depressing but it’s useful to have it confirmed.
Ms PINTO – While there’s a channel – again, I’m just making reference to information that I’ve received –
CHAIR – Maybe we can confirm this under the Environment portfolio.
Ms O’CONNOR – Yeah, we will, but I’m just trying to get to the bottom of whether there’s any mitigation plans to buffer that population on Robbins Island and how do we get that information.
Mr DUIGAN – I believe there are, but I –
Ms PINTO – Through you, Minister, the other observation I would make is that obviously animals or humans for that matter can travel at low tide. Whether –
CHAIR – Have we seen devils walking across?
Ms PINTO – Again, the information that I have in front of me does suggest that devils are known to cross at low tide. The likelihood that, again, I’m referring to information, the likelihood that a devil with the said tumour may eventually reach Robbins Island has always been acknowledged and it is probably a matter that’s irrelevant as to whether there’s a wind farm there or not. It is just due to the general conditions that would enable an animal to travel across at low tide.
Ms O’CONNOR – Through you, Minister, are you happy if I put a question on notice about what kind of mitigation and conservation plans would be in place?
Mr DUIGAN – I just don’t think it sits in the Energy portfolio. We would have to cross the boundaries and if you have Environment, they will have those details and the EPA.
Ms O’CONNOR – The orange-bellied parrot, given that that’s a specific –
Mr DUIGAN – Again, that will be us reaching out of our lane into somebody else’s lane.
Mr LIMKIN – My understanding on both of these, there are EPA conditions and DQ conditions on both orange-bellied parrot and devils. The best way to get clarity on how the conditions are managed is under the Environment portfolio who is accountable for this, Ms O’Connor.
Mr DUIGAN – Which is today?
Ms O’CONNOR – Yes, it is. I just hope that you as minister would take an interest in this as well and not chuck it off to the Environment minister, in your daily tasks.
Mr DUIGAN – Yes, but you use how this works.
