As the Tasmanian election approaches, the result of a no-confidence motion in the minority Liberal government, there has been no mainstream discussion about mitigating climate change and a just transition for workers and the environment.
Instead, the public is being treated to a lot of finger pointing and vague entreats to “get the state back on track”.
It is incredible that in a state renown for its wilderness, Labor has no meaningful plan for the environment. The Liberals have outlined a policy to expand tourism infrastructure through parks and hiking trails, and have made vague commitments to protecting threatened species, while championing a “world class” salmon industry — despite its environmental record.
Tasmania’s environmental degradation is not accidental. Successive governments have been happy to acquiesce to logging corporations, backing in their profiteering from resource extraction without a thought to any form of sustainability.
This is being shown in two of the state’s most ecologically destructive industries — salmon farming and native forest logging.
The salmon farming industry, touted as critical for the state’s economy, now produces an estimated 4193 tonnes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen each year, which is devastating marine ecosystems. The Australia Institute estimates that this is six times the output of the state’s entire sewage system.
Despite this, the Liberal government has refused to enforce meaningful regulation and has, in fact, further diluted what little regulatory power the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act had over the industry.
This decision flows from the state’s refusal to disrupt profit flows to corporations — something more people are now questioning.
Statistics from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, cited by The Australia Institute (TAI), state that over the last decade, revenue from the salmon industry has doubled from $543 million in 2013–14 to $1.35 billion in 2022–23. Total revenue over the decade was $8.78 billion.
Despite this, the three biggest salmon farms have paid nearly zero tax.
“Whilst tax is paid on the basis of profits not revenue, the total tax paid over an 11-year period by the salmon industry was just 0.6% of its revenue,” Rod Campbell said in his report for TAI, Tasmanian salmon: more revenue, more pollution, but always less tax.
This implies one of two things: Either the industry is deeply unprofitable; or there are zero regulations on the multi-national corporations to pay tax.
Likewise, native forest logging continues to eradicate precious old-growth forests. According to Professor David Lindenmayer, in an interview for the ABC last year, logging emits 4.56 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, more than any other sector in Tasmania.
Logging is a net cost the state. Just 885 people work in the native and plantation logging forestry sector. Yet, millions are paid out each year in public subsidies, insurance liabilities and infrastructure repair, according to a 2023 report by TAI.
While the major parties support this, the Tasmanian Greens, on the other hand, have an action plan that includes an end to all native forest logging and a ban on all new fossil fuel projects. The Greens also want all industries to commit to an emission reduction plan and more state investment in communities that are bearing the brunt of climate change now.
Craig Garland, Independent MP for Braddon, is also calling on the incoming government to honour a 2010 commitment to ensure Tasmania’s high conservation value forests are permanently protected. He is also championing state and federal protection for the Boullanger Bay wetlands.
Peter George, an independent running for Franklin, is also committing to no new coal, oil or gas extraction.