Outrage

Simon Branigan
Conservation groups are outraged at proposed changes to Tasmania’s planning system announced today, which they believe axe key protections for the environment and the public’s democratic right to have a fair say about their state and its future.

MEDIA RELEASE – 3/3/2009

INDEPENDENT PLANNING UMPIRE FACES THE AXE

Conservation groups are outraged at proposed changes to Tasmania’s planning system announced today, which they believe axe key protections for the environment and the public’s democratic right to have a fair say about their state and its future.

“These proposed changes, though cloaked in a positive media spin – axe the environment and the public from our planning system,” said Simon Branigan, spokesperson for Environment Tasmania, (E.T).

“The government has shown a growing contempt for proper public input, consultation and planning in Tasmania over recent years,”

“In the past two years alone, we have seen the government cut experts and the public out of the pulp mill assessment process mid-way through, reject the RPDC’s findings in relation to years of work on the Bruny Bioregion Marine reserves, and completely junk the years of community, expert and tourism industry input into a consensus Tourism development plan for the Tarkine,”

“The inability of the government to foster and respect proper community involvement in planning has led to increasing controversy and division within our community,”

“The government hasn’t liked what the public and the independent umpire have had to say about proposed developments and planning in Tasmania, so they have axed them from the system,”

Environment Tasmania is Tasmania’s conservation council, an umbrella body that represents 25 Tasmanian conservation groups, with collective representation of over 6000 Tasmanians.
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