Ms BADGER question to MINISTER for PARKS and ENVIRONMENT, Mr DUIGAN
Heritage Tasmania, Parks, and ministers have been asked to step up and save the heritage-listed Halls Hut at Lake Malbena. The private lease was transferred to the current leaseholder on the condition that the hut was preserved and remained open to the public. Yet, in the past decade, zero maintenance has been done, the public are excluded and the hut is falling into disrepair, with next winter likely to be its last. The leaseholder, various departments and the secretary of the department all parroted claims that no maintenance could be done on the hut due to the EPBC assessment for the controversial proposal at Malbena.
The federal department has confirmed that this is false. Remediation work on the hut could be underway but the leaseholder chose not to do it. This is a shameful neglect of our heritage. With this irrefutable evidence that the urgent works can be done, will you finally take back the lease and return Halls Hut to Tasmanians who will care for it?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I thank the member for the question. Our government supports and will continue to encourage appropriate, environmentally sensitive and sustainable proposals that go through a robust assessment and approvals process. We want people to be able to responsibly and sustainably access and enjoy our world-class parks and reserves.
The Halls Island Lake Malbena Proposal remains subject to local, state and Australian Government planning and approval processes. The proponent previously submitted documentation as required by the Australian Government for assessment under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act (EPBC Act). The Australian Government requested additional information from the proponent in accordance with section 132 of the EPBC Act and put in place an extension for a decision under section 131A of the act. I am advised that the proponent has written to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania as recently as the last ten days and confirmed that the additional information as requested by the Australian Government has been submitted.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEW) have confirmed with the proponent that the submission was recently received on 3 August 2024. It is now a matter for the Australian Government to review the submission to determine if the matter will now re-enter formal assessment. We will await Minister Plibersek’s decision on that aspect.
In relation to future works on conservation work of the hut on Halls Island, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE) wrote to DCCEW on 26 June to seek clarification about previous advice provided to the proponent, specifically in relation to the proponent requiring the use of a helicopter to transport tools and resources to Halls Island for the purposes of hut maintenance work.
The NRE sought advice from DCCEW as to what the process for approval was to maintain the hut within the current EPBC referral process. A response from DCCEW to NRE dated 15 July 2024 advises that Mr Hackett was advised to conduct a self-assessment of any potential impacts to nationally protected matters to determine if flying to Halls Island and undertaking maintenance would require a referral under the EPBC Act. DCCEW advised that it would reiterate this advice directly to the proponent, and the proponent has confirmed they have received the advice. The proponent received a certificate of exemption from Heritage Tasmania –
The SPEAKER – The minister’s time for answering the question has expired. I am not getting a supplementary. I call the Leader of the Opposition.
