Mr BAYLEY – Thank you, Chair. My question is to the minister. Minister, on threatened species, I heard some of the conversation earlier around threatened species and specifically, I want to ask about the swift parrot. Obviously, some of the threatened species investments are, I guess, what you would call ‘ambulance at the bottom of the cliff’ kind of projects‑
Ms OGILVIE – Oh, I wouldn’t.
Mr BAYLEY – Well, captive breeding, you’d have to admit, is that. Habitat restoration is obviously critically important, we welcome that wholeheartedly and we need to do more of it, but of course, that is second best to habitat protection. I draw your attention to your own national recovery plan for the swift parrot, which is very clear in terms of identifying forestry and land clearing as a threat and, I quote:
Loss of potential breeding habitat in Tasmania via clearance for conversion to agriculture, native forest, logging and intensive native forest silviculture continues to reduce the amount of available swift parrot nesting and foraging habitat and it therefore remains a significant threat to the continued persistence of the species.
The plan has a specific recommendation to identify and protect remnants of state and commonwealth‑owned land in areas of habitat critical for survival of the swift parrot. Now, under the Liberals’ watch, logging in important swift parrot breeding habitat has doubled from 139 hectares a year to over 300 hectares a year. Why is it that you are consistently ignoring the advice of experts, scientists, and also the recommendations of your own swift parrot recovery plan and not increasing the reserve estate on public land to protect important breeding and foraging habitat for the parrot?
Ms OGILVIE – So, that was a very long question. I will endeavour to answer it as best I can and I have some information here in front of me. So firstly, I think it’s important just to set the context within which we are having this discussion about the government’s investment in the swift parrot. In 2021, we committed $250,000 per year over four years to implement the actions identified in the national recovery plan for swift parrots. The recently concluded ‑ that was 30 June 2025 – Swift Parrot Recovery Project worked with key research and land management organisations to deliver a significant range of recovery actions ‑ 29 of the 35 actions identified in the National Recovery Plan relevant to Tasmania have been progressed either partially or fully through this project. These include research and monitoring as well as habitat mapping, protection and enhancement.
In 2024, the Tasmanian Threatened Species Fund was established, providing $8 million over four years to continue supporting the conservation of priority species, including the swift parrot. Now, you asked some questions in relation to another portfolio and I do appreciate that this traverses portfolios, so I will endeavour to give you some additional information.
Important outputs of what we are doing in this portfolio, before I turn to the Minister for Business, Industry and Resources’ portfolio, include priority research and monitoring, which has been co-ordinated and supported through the project that I have just spoken of, with $50,000 allocated to swift parrot breeding, season monitoring, habitat protection and enhancement, $15,000 allocated to a partnership with the Bruny Island Environment Network, a spatial habitat prioritisation tool has been developed with outputs that identify and prioritise swift parrot habitat to guide external stakeholder habitat protection activities. Additionally, in a partnership with the Forest Practices Authority, a contribution of $60,000 secured statewide LIDAR data that would enable an important update to the Big Tree model and provides contemporary information on the availability and distribution of hollow bearing trees, so that goes directly to your question.
A sugar glider impact research strategy is currently in development based on a comprehensive technical review completed by the project team with the intent of supporting a co-ordinated approach to understanding and addressing the impact of predation on swift parrots. Ongoing co-ordination biological sample collection has occurred to obtain genetic and health information contributing to the national discussion.
Then in relation, more broadly, as a priority species, swift parrot recovery tools and activities that protect and enhance species habitat in Tasmania will be funded through the Threatened Species Fund, which we’ve established and existing resources. I can say we are committed to doing all that we can. Particularly in my portfolio we’re working hard to manage this. I’m not sure that I do agree with your characterisation of the work that we’re doing, particularly in relation to this very important species – I can’t remember exactly the words used, but they’re a little bit strident. We care very deeply about the swift parrot. We’re doing a lot of work. The team here has done some incredible work and we will continue to do that. In relation to any queries, you have around Forest Practices Authority, that is another portfolio area.
Mr BAYLEY – Notwithstanding those things you outlined, the loss of swift parrot habitat continues, including on public land that’s managed by Tasmania and there is a recommendation in the Swift Parrot Recovery Plan to identify and protect important habitat areas of swift parrot on public land, and that is something that clearly has been rejected by this government. In fact, you consistently point to protecting habitat on private land, which is very welcome, and the work of the Tasmanian Land Conservancy is outstanding in that regard, but even on that measure, you’re continually failing and I look to the NRE annual report which identified that versus the target of meeting private land reservation targets we were 400 hectares short this year and we’ve got an 1800 hectare target next year, so we’ve got a target that’s multiple times more than we are under-achieving as it stands at the moment.
Can you outline how much money specifically is in the Budget for the private land conservation program and how many staff are currently working in that program?
Ms OGILVIE – Again, a very long preamble and then the question was slightly separate to the first statement. I’ll just get some information for you.
Mr BAYLEY – I did notice the comment earlier about rebuilding the team in the private land conservation. I’m really interested to know the sort of historical and the current figures.
Ms OGILVIE – I understand your genuine background and interest in this. Mr Jacobi, would that be one for you?
Mr JACOBI – Through you, minister, I’m just getting information together.
Ms WILSON – Through you, minister, I’m just going to check one number with my general manager, but covenants are identified in the government’s response to the State of Environment Report. We’re really committed to continuing to deliver on that program and ramping up activity. Historically, this program has been funded through commonwealth funding and, you weren’t here earlier when I mentioned that, and we’ve got some commonwealth funding on the way if not already. We’ve got five people. We’re recruiting I think for two positions at the moment, but five people will be in the team.
Mr BAYLEY – How much was the program funded last year and then this year?
Ms WILSON – It’s not funded as such. We have money in trust. We historically have had a lot of money in trust, and we’ve used that, but we have got it topped up and it’s the dollar figure I’m looking for at the moment, and I cannot find it here. I will ask my general manager to tell me.
As I said, the commonwealth government has historically funded this program and that is because largely the covenants are joint covenants in perpetuity with the commonwealth government and decisions to vary the covenants and those sorts of things need to be jointly agreed by both governments or both ministers and they contribute to the National Reserve Estate.
I do not have the number of the dollar figure of how much have in the trust fund, but we have another $1.56 million over two years from the commonwealth through a grant and we’re looking at additional submissions for commonwealth funding under the Heritage –
Mr BAYLEY – Does Tasmania make a contribution to the program then or do we rely entirely on the commonwealth?
Ms WILSON – We provide in-kind support through other areas of the environment business unit in particular that sits in my division of which Jo Crisp is the general manager but historically that has been largely funded by the commonwealth government and because of the joint nature of these, the commonwealth government looks at these as part of the National Reserve Estate.
Mr BAYLEY – Can you confirm is the target really 1800 hectares this year?
CHAIR – Mr Bayley, sorry, that will come around to the next round.
Mr BAYLEY – Last week, my colleague in the parliament asked you a question about the government’s decision not to declare swift parrot important breeding area over forests in Lonnavale because of the economic impact on Forestry Tasmania. I don’t recall you even mentioning the parrot. Did you take that issue up and what did you do within Cabinet to advocate for the declaration of a swift parrot important breeding area over Lonnavale?
Ms OGILVIE – I’m trying to recall exactly what question was asked.
Mr BAYLEY – I guess it was that. What have you done in relation to declaring a swift parrot important breeding area at Lonnavale, given the importance of the habitat there and the imminent logging of those areas on public land?
Ms OGILVIE – Mr Jacobi, I think NRE Tasmania probably had input into this.
Mr JACOBI – Through you, minister. We have not had any direct input in relation to that particular matter. I suggest, Mr Bayley, that you refer that to GBE scrutiny – is it GBE scrutiny, or is it Forest Practices Authority later this week?
