Ms O’CONNOR question to MINISTER for PARKS and ENVIRONMENT, Mr DUIGAN
Statements you made about the lease over Halls Island yesterday appear to be based on out-of-date advice. Here is the ASIC notice ordering the company Wild Drake Pty Ltd is wound up: a liquidator has been appointed. Can you as minister confirm that you will not renew the lease that gave Wild Drake Pty Ltd exclusive use rights over an entire island in the World Heritage area for a pittance?
ANSWER
Mr DUIGAN – Thank you, Mr President, always seeking to provide the most up to date information to the House. I am aware, as I may have mentioned yesterday, that the environmental organisations lodged proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia in relation to legal cost to be paid by Wild Drake and that they made an application to have the company wound up.
As mentioned in your question, the ASIC website now identifies that a liquidator has been appointed and this of course involves a process that is currently being worked through with no determination has yet being made. What I have been advised is that the proponent has 21 days from the date of the court order to request that the application be overturned. As previously stated, all lease and licence payments have been paid, a process is underway and as I did say yesterday, I will not be seeking to deal in anything in the hypothetical realm or preempt any of those outcomes. I can confirm that the lease is current and that the proponent has also advised that they are continuing to work with the Australian government to progress the project.
In regards to the validity of the lease post 30 September 2024, I will continue to take advice and I will continue to act accordingly. I will continue to make the point that our government supports Tasmanian businesses –
Ms O’Connor – There is no business. It is being wound up.
Mr DUIGAN – including our tourism industry and its operators and I am not seeking to tarnish or besmirch anyone’s reputation in this place.
