The Basslink disaster

IT IS TIME for accountability on Basslink.

The Basslink Joint Assessment Panel chaired by Julian Green heard the business case put by the Hydro and the critical analysis of that case put by the Greens and recommended that the project proceed.

The Greens said that the facility fee would be $90 million per year for 25 years. The Hydro’s spokesperson Steve Halliday said that the contention of a $90 million fee was wrong. “If it was going to cost that much ($90 million) we wouldn’t have gone near Basslink”

The Hydro said that at best Basslink had a 65% chance of breaking even and that if costs increased by 10%, that would fall to a 50% chance. Costs increased by 10% when a return cable was required.

At that point the Greens requested that the Joint Advisory Panel extend the time for public comments and reconvene public hearings. The Panel refused to do so.

Greens Senator Bob Brown recommended on 16th April 2002 in a formal response to the Draft Panel report that: “The Panel recommend against Basslink because it is financially unviable with a metallic return, according to the evidence provided by Basslink Pty Ltd and Hydro Tasmania, and environmentally unacceptable without one.”

The Panel recommended in favour of the project.

Who will now take responsibility for the economic disaster that is Basslink? If the Greens with limited staff and resources were able to analyse the project and determine that the project was not economically viable, why couldn’t Julian Green and the Joint Advisory Panel, the State Treasury, the Chamber of Commerce, Dr Bruce Felmingham or the Liberal and Labor parties?

Why did the state’s media largely ignore the hearings and fail to report the evidence?

With regard to Basslink, Tasmanians have been ill served by the Hydro Board and all of those paid to oversee the state’s economy.

An inquiry into how this fiasco has unfolded would reveal that far from being anti-development, the most fiscally responsible party in Tasmania is the Greens.

Christine Milne
Australian Greens Senator for Tasmania