Ms BADGER question to MINISTER for ENVIRONMENT, Ms OGILVIE
The Minister for Environment has the responsibility under Tasmanian law to ensure the government is meeting its obligations under the climate change act. The objects of the act, which is currently up for review, include to identify, promote and support measures to reduce Tasmania’s greenhouse gas emissions. The greenhouse accounts show it’s business as usual for emissions across all sectors of the economy. It’s our forests doing the heavy lifting behind your government’s claim to net‑zero status.
If there have been any attempts to reduce emissions in line with the objects of the climate change act, they have failed. Do you consider this acceptable? How do you explain this failing, and what will you do to make sure the government that you are a part of starts listening to our scientists, complying with the law, and bringing down emissions across the island?
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Order.
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, it’s very pleasing to see the Greens are back on environmental issues after being missing in action for about a year in the last government.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Order.
Ms OGILVIE – You have been missing in action. While I’m here, I’m also pleased to speak as Minister for Environment, minister for climate change. There seems to be a bit of confusion in your ranks about that as well.
Dr Woodruff – You don’t actually have a minister for climate change.
The SPEAKER – Dr Woodruff, I do ask that the member be heard.
Ms OGILVIE – Actually, no, it’s me. You keep saying I don’t exist, it feels a bit strange because here I am.
Our government remains committed to addressing the challenges and opportunities around climate change. We have so much to be proud of. We were the first Australian jurisdiction to achieve net‑zero emissions and we’ve maintained that for the last nine years.
Our Liberal government has taken real action to achieve tangible results. We’ve put funding of $14.3 million into delivering programs under our Climate Change (State Action) Act 2008. Much of this work has already been done. We’ve delivered Tasmania’s climate change action plan, six sectoral emissions reduction and resilience plans, and a statewide climate change risk assessment.
The emissions reduction and resilience plans have been developed to support greenhouse gas emissions reduction, which goes directly to your question, to assist our businesses and industries in the transition to a low emissions economy and to build resilience to climate related risks.
The action plan includes 98 practical cross‑government actions that improve knowledge about climate change, reduce emissions, and build resilience in the changing climate. This plan builds on a significant investment of more than $250 million in climate change activities already underway across government. This includes $350,000 for community climate change action grants. The City of Hobart used one of these grants to launch the new Free E‑Bike Library, which I think you liked and said you enjoyed at the time. I had the pleasure of launching that in May.
These programs help to reduce emissions by encouraging the uptake of not only e‑bikes but also electric vehicles, which I think we are all in support of as well. In fact, Tasmania has now hit the important milestone of having more than 5000 registered electric vehicles in the state; that’s great news.
The action plan also includes a $4 million grant to support farmers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 16,000 tons. This is the equivalent of taking 7000 cars off the road. A good result. A road map has also been released that outlines the links between the plans and the statewide climate change risk assessment and cross‑cutting issues and opportunities.
The SPEAKER – The minister’s time for answering the question has expired.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Ms BADGER – A supplementary question, Speaker?
The SPEAKER – I will hear the supplementary question.
Ms BADGER – Are you able to finally confirm that the government does have a climate change minister, and it is yourself? It’s not listed as a separate portfolio, it comes under Environment?
Dr Woodruff – It’s not on your website.
Ms BADGER – The plans that you outlined in your answer are not statutory plans and there is no evidence that they are bringing down emissions.
Back to the original question. What are you going to do, as per the statutory act to reduce emissions in Tasmania?
The SPEAKER – A lot of that preamble wasn’t in order, but yes, the statutory act part.
Ms OGILVIE – I do not want to have to chip you again, but I want to be really clear that the administrative arrangements, which is a public document, show that I am responsible for climate change.
Members interjecting.
Ms OGILVIE – It is on the public record.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Order. You have asked a question. The minister only has 40 seconds left to answer it.
Ms OGILVIE – It is not a matter of whether I finally confirm or do not confirm. Just look at the administrative arrangements and they will tell you who is responsible for what. It is very, very straightforward. That is really clear. I found that all just really quite odd when you were pretending there is not a climate change minister.
So, where were we up to? What we are doing is a coordinated whole‑of‑government response to climate change. We are working together to find the right balance for our state and our environment. I look forward to continuing this good work and I would like to work with you on this. I would like us to work together, as I have said in this Chamber many times, I am happy to work with everybody who wants to work together for the benefit of Tasmania.
