Dr WOODRUFF question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
In breach of the law, your government has refused to produce a State of the Environment report for a decade. For that decade, the Liberals have put vested interests in big corporations first and the environment last, and now the evidence of consequences is in. Of the report’s 29 environmental indicators, over half are getting worse and already in a devastating state. The climate crisis contributes to this decline but all of the massive local drivers are in your control. This includes forestry, threatened species decline, pollution, inappropriate developments, land and water use and invasive species.
Do you now accept that Liberal policies have caused much of the environmental harms outlined in this report? Also, do you believe this is an acceptable price to pay for pursuing your agenda?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I thank the member, Dr Woodruff, for the question, an important question. Our government’s 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future outlines key commitments to protect our much-loved environment. It is about working sensibly with your natural resources. It is about protecting our waterways. It is about ensuring we do have good soil conservation. It is also about supporting our natural environment, investing in our parks and reserves, so that Tasmanians and Australians and those across the globe can come to Tasmania in wonder of our natural environment and the fact that we have over 50 per cent of the state in reserves, for example. This is something to be proud of as well as –
Dr WOODRUFF – Point of order, Speaker, Standing Order 45, relevance, I draw the Premier’s attention to the question. Does he accept his policies have caused this environmental harm in large part?
The SPEAKER – Premier, I will draw you to the question under Standing Order 45.
Mr ROCKLIFF – No, I do not accept that.
Dr Woodruff – Did you read the report?
Mr ROCKLIFF – Our Budget commits to real action on climate change and this is made evident by the $21 million in funding we have allocated over the next four years. It builds on significant investment of some $250 million in climate change initiatives already underway across government. There is no one single action to this, and in the report –
Dr Woodruff – It is all the actions that your policies have created.
The SPEAKER – Leader of the Greens, please. That is the fourth interjection in a minute and a half.
Mr ROCKLIFF – We are building a circular economy, which will not only reduce waste and pollution in our environment but create jobs and business opportunities for Tasmanians. The Greens have talked about recycling, container deposits for years and years. Where was it between 2010 and 2014? You had the chance to do it. It took a Liberal government to deliver it.
Mr Winter – You have not delivered anything.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – The House will come to order and the Premier will stop inciting that kind of response.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Albeit, not too far away. We have as soon as possible and I thank the minister, Mr Jaensch, for his leadership in this area, which has been significant.
The report also recognises the investments we are making at a very local level. It is a good opportunity for me to thank our local environment groups, Landcare organisations and volunteers. The report points to the importance of investment in those organisations to fence off riparian areas –
The SPEAKER – The Premier’s time has expired. Sorry, I was noting down whether he had answered it.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Dr WOODRUFF – A supplementary question, Speaker?
The SPEAKER – I will hear the supplementary question.
Dr WOODRUFF – From the Premier’s answer, can you confirm that he has actually read the report? You have been sitting on it for ages.
The SPEAKER – I think a simple yes or no might be useful, Premier, if I can draw you to that as a supplementary. It does come out of your response, I am afraid.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Thank you. The report went through Cabinet on Monday and all members availed themselves of the report. I have just highlighted an example of what is contained in the report. It mentions those local Landcare investments and how important they are. You have to acknowledge the significant improvements over decades in the environment, such as landholders working with Landcare groups and other environmental groups on fencing off river and waterways from stock access. This protects our waterways and supports our recreational fisheries, which are all important matters.
Having received the report on Monday, through Cabinet, we will be providing a response to the report. There is significant information to absorb –
The SPEAKER – The Premier’s time for answering the supplementary has expired.
