Ms BADGER question to MINISTER for BUSINESS, INDUSTRY and RESOURCES, Mr ABETZ
After initially providing the proponent with support, your government has now cancelled the lease for a proposed coal mine near Fingal. The project proponent admitted that he could not raise the money from investors to pay his lease fees because of community opposition to coal in Tasmania. This is the second community win over a new coal proposal, with your government also forced to refuse extending a coal exploration licence in the Midlands.
Tasmanians recognise that the climate is changing due to human activity. They understand that is why we are seeing more extreme weather, more fire, floods, droughts and warming waters. They know that we must reduce emissions, not dig up more coal, which will only ruin our clean green brand. The community has made their views clear. It is time that the government listened. Will you finally enact a ban on new coal mines and exploration in Tasmania?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I thank the member for the question. How the wheel has turned. It was the former leader of the Greens who advocated for a coal‑fired power station in the Fingal Valley in opposition or as a substitute for renewable hydro energy.
Dr Woodruff – Here we are today in a climate crisis.
The SPEAKER – Order, Leader of the Greens.
Mr ABETZ – Whilst the Greens continually talk about the need for renewable energy, they opposed hydro, they oppose wind farms.
Dr Woodruff – No we do not. That is not true.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Order, Leader of the Greens is warned. Members on my right will be silent.
Mr ABETZ – Which one do you actually support? It is one of those things is it not – that here we have a Greens member in absolute contradiction to the former leader of the Greens, indeed the founder of the Greens, who thought it was a great strategic idea not to have another hydro development, but instead have a coal‑fired power station in the Fingal Valley. How the wheel has turned.
Mr Ellis – And she wants to rip up Lake Pedder.
The SPEAKER – Minister Ellis, you are warned again.
Mr ABETZ – What it indicates is that there is no consistency to the Greens approach to energy or indeed, any other method. It is simply negativity writ large. It is, ‘No to hydro, we’ll have coal instead’.
Mr Bayley – And now your approach, minister?
The SPEAKER – Order, Deputy Leader of the Greens
Mr ABETZ – ‘When there is a possibility of coal, we say no to coal. No to old‑growth forestry, no to native forestry, no to plantations’.
Ms BADGER – Point of order, honourable Speaker, Standing Order 45, relevance. It is 2025, we are in a climate crisis. The question was specifically about whether you will now be banning coal exploration and mining in Tasmania?
The SPEAKER – No explanation necessary other than its relevance. I will draw the minister to the question that was asked.
Mr ABETZ – I was getting around to that. Unlike the Greens, we do not say no to everything. We will examine each and every proposal on its merits and whether or not it will be of benefit to the people of Tasmania and their needs.
Keep this very much in mind, that the history of the Australian Greens is to condemn renewable energy in favour of coal‑fired energy. That is the Greens legacy. Now, they are saying, ‘Well, we do not want coal either’. I suspect if we were to propose candles, you would be objecting to that as well.
