Dr WOODRUFF (Franklin – Leader of the Greens) – Deputy Speaker, I rise tonight with a heavy heart to commemorate the life of Gerard Castles. Those of us who had the great pleasure, the joy and the fortune of knowing Gerard were shocked to hear of his unexpected death last weekend. It was a body blow for many who have worked, campaigned, socialised and called Gerard friend over many years. We send our hearts out to his wife, Shayne, and his children, Conor and Sarah, who knew and loved him best. Our condolences also to his closest friends and companions, fellow shack owners on Bruny Island and the Dennes Point community in collective.
Gerard did many things in his too-short life, including working as a strategic communication specialist. He had a mighty intellect and he used it for good. Gerard was handpicked by Jim Bacon to be one of the 22 special members to lead the Tasmania Together process that started in 1999 and ran for over a decade, tasked with developing a plan for the state’s future. In Gerard’s words, it asked Tasmanians to dream of a future they wanted to have and began a radical re-engineering of the way Tasmanian society worked.
Ultimately, he said for all its flaws, it helped the state change forever in a positive way. Gerard was perfect for that work. He had a special way of dealing with people, really a gift. He could bring groups together from all sorts of spheres with a boundless energy and enthusiasm. He never stopped giving to the community throughout his life. He was on the front line of so many fights to make sure this beautiful place, Lutruwita, is looked after. From his childhood in the north-west, he had a lifelong love of the Highland Lakes and was a great trout fisherman.
He had a special deep connection with his beloved Walls of Jerusalem National Park and was a champion in the fight to keep helicopter tourism out of the World Heritage Area. He encouraged the many groups fighting to keep Lake Malbena development-free and revelled in telling the stories of the magic of visiting the Halls Hut, gushing with pride about spending a night in the Hut with friends and their children. Those who continued the defence of Lake Malbena will thank him for his constant support and hold him in their hearts.
In general, Gerard though was a quiet activist, but the Tasmania Together process in the fight against big Salmon forced him out the front. I last saw Gerard a few weeks ago on the beach at Verona Sands, surrounded by hundreds of local people protesting at the failure of the government to protect our marine environment. What a terrific last memory. It is one of so many I have with him over the last 10 years. The whole 10 years I have been in parliament, Gerard has been in the trenches, never giving up, strategising and supporting the community campaign to defend our oceans and channels from the pollution of industrial salmon farming. Gerard was a great help to the collective work of the Greens over many years as well. He always supported brave voices and anyone who spoke up against corruption and self-interest.
I want to read some words now from what I believe is the last on‑camera interview that Gerard did late last year. He said:
As a kid I wandered through the bush, and gradually over time we started to go out overnight up into Cradle. I developed a love for the outdoors. I think it was the freedom, a sense of otherness. There was something about being out there that you were in contact with something special. You don’t have to necessarily be an environmentalist. You can just love being out in the wild places of Tasmania – fishing, deer hunting, travelling around, walking.
I think it is incredibly important, it is part of what makes us us. Place gives us soul. A lot of us struggle to find the words to describe what it means, but we know when we lose it. You feel it when it is threatened or lost. It is important for us to fight for it, to preserve it for multiple generations.
Well, dear Gerard, we commit to keep fighting in your spirit, with you in our hearts to guide us. Vale Gerard Castles.
Members – Hear, hear.
