Dr WOODRUFF question to MINISTER for ENVIRONMENT and CLIMATE CHANGE, Mr BARNETT
Thank you, honourable Speaker. Minister, there’s a super El Niño building in the Pacific which meteorologists say is likely to be the worst on record. It’s predicted to be a hot and dry summer, with the Tasmanian community and environment under extreme threat from bushfire and ocean warming. With this climate fuel disaster looming, any responsible government would be urgently preparing the community. Instead, your government has delivered a non‑response to the independent review of the Climate Change Act. Rather than creating the focused adaptation process that’s recommended, you’re continuing to shuffle papers and put meaningful climate action on the backburner. We face a massive, imminent threat and business as usual won’t cut it. When young Tasmanians ask what you’re doing to prevent the climate catastrophe, will you look them in the eyes, be honest and say it’s not a priority for your government, or will you recognise the severity and take the urgent action that’s needed?
ANSWER
I thank the honourable member for her question and appreciate her interest in this matter, but don’t concur with the manner in which she’s characterised her question and the facts she puts on the table. The government has worked very hard, and I acknowledge former ministers, Madeleine Ogilvie and Roger Jaensch, in terms of this important area of work. As a new-ish minister, I’m pleased to have been able to table the government’s response to the independent review of the Climate Change Act 2008. We have supported all seven recommendations, five in principle and two in full. We will progress with practical improvements and direct action to make a difference for our environment and our community. That’s what we’re on about as a government, and we want practical, achievable measures to be delivered to further strengthen Tasmania’s leadership role. Why do I say leadership role? Because we are 100 per cent fully self‑sufficient in renewable energy. We’re targeting 200 per cent –
Members interjecting.
Mr BARNETT – which has been legislated through this parliament with full support years ago, and now we’re heading that way. This is something we should be proud of as a state and for the 100 years of the pioneer efforts of our hydro dams that have been built, the blood, sweat and tears, and we thank them for their efforts in terms of zero net emissions since 2014, something we can be proud of.
Dr WOODRUFF – Point of order, Speaker, under 45, relevance. We’re not talking about the past, we’re talking about the coming summer threat and the dangerous lack of action from this government on adaptation plans, which is what I asked the minister to outline.
The SPEAKER – Thank you. Deputy Premier, I draw you back to the main points that were raised in the question.
Mr BARNETT – That’s right. I’m proud of Tasmania’s credentials in terms of the environment. I’m proud of what’s been done and what’s been achieved, and of our plans for the future. The net zero emissions: we have a target to continue post‑2030. We’ve gone from 2014 non‑stop through to today, and planning through to 2030 and beyond. This is ambitious. Guess what? Every other jurisdiction in Australia is targeting net zero emissions by 2040 or 2050. All around the globe they’re targeting 2050, maybe 2040 if they’re lucky. We’re already there! We have a lot to be proud of in Tasmania, and we’re achieving this. This is part of the Tasmanian brand, to be clean and fresh, pure and natural. This is Tasmania! This is team Tasmania at work. We are responding in a very deliberate way, delivering practical and meaningful measures to improve our environment.
Supplementary Question
Dr WOODRUFF – My question was not about mitigation in the future. My question was not about being clean and green and pure and natural. It was about the risk of the climate threat facing us this very summer and adaptation responses. The government does not have an adaptation plan in place now. That’s what the review found, and the government is talking about putting it off into the future. What are they doing now, right now, for this summer, the bushfire threat and to support all the people who are working hard as volunteers and paid staff in fire and emergency services in communities and local councils?
Mr BARNETT – Can I just indicate to the honourable member in this Chamber that adaption is very important to our government. It’s a key priority for me and my government. That’s why just two weeks ago, I met with the climate reference group. Absolutely excellent feedback, and I appreciate the role of all those members of the Climate Change Reference Group, and that’s something that I’ll continue to do. I’ll be working to get feedback from the experts, from those in the field. I made the importance of adaption clear on the day, and it was clear from the climate reference group in terms of responding to our climate. In short, I don’t think we should be talking Tasmania down, because that’s what I think you’re up to, and we won’t have a bar of it. We’re talking Tasmania up. We’re team Tasmania. We’re going to make a difference for the environment and our community.
