Fight Federal grasslands listing: call

· State Government must fight the Federal Government’s endangered listing of lowland grasslands

· Ineffective response from Labor to date shows it is tired and out of touch

The State Government has to do more to stand up for Tasmanian farmers whose land has been locked up by a Federal Government listing of their grasslands.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett announced the endangered listing of the lowland grasslands earlier this year and it is being fiercely resisted by farmers, and the Tasmanian Liberals.

Labor Senators failed to stand up for farmers when a disallowance motion was moved in the Federal Parliament.

And the State Government’s response has to date been lame and ineffective.

The Federal Government’s decision was out of touch and wrong. Farmers have been managing these grasslands sustainably for years.

There needs to be a concerted effort from the State Government to stand up for the rights of Tasmanian farmers and I’m concerned we’re not seeing that from this tired, 11 year old Labor Government
Rene Hidding MP Shadow Minister for Primary Industries