Deplorable condition of the Tamar

The Editor,
The Examiner,

Dear Sir,

In 1982 former MLC Ray Shipp, now Launceston Alderman, called for action on Tamar siltation (The Examiner, 3 May 1982).

In 1984 then Launceston Mayor, now MLC, Don Wing said:

“The State Government had to take more responsibility for solving the silting problems of the Tamar River.” (The Examiner, 19 May 1984)
This newspaper, through its Editorial, agreed with the then Mayor (The Examiner, 18 May 1984).

NEARLY 30 YEARS LATER nothing practical has happened and Launceston City Council, recognizing that it cannot cope with the numerous problems associated with the River Tamar handed responsibility for it back to the State Government (The Examiner, 22 Jan. 2010).

Even more recently Opposition Leader Will Hodgman criticized the state government for its broken election pledge on Tamar dredging funding saying the river will remain …’a festering eyesore’ and Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said he is ‘…concerned at the cut to silt funding’. (The Examiner, 18 Jun 2010).

Responding to questions on delays to Tamar dredging funding in State Parliament Local Government Minister Bryan Green said: “Local government has to take some responsibility…” (The Examiner, 23 Jun 2010).

State governments over many years have cared little for the Tamar’s woes which is exactly why it is in the deplorable condition that it now is: contaminated by pathogens (bacteria streptococci and faecal coliforms) above recreational guidelines, its aquatic inhabitants either dying from toxic poisoning or choking to death in a sea of silt while gasping for breath deprived of oxygen through low Gorge water flows.

One wonders what it takes to make a government, and its bureaucrats, sit up, take notice and actually do something; their ineptitude is only exceeded by their apparent incapability to even recognize, never mind attempting to rectify, a major environmental disaster, one that’s far too late to prevent having already occurred!

I am obviously a VERY ANGRY JIM but I ask: do we have to wait another 30 years before something actually gets done?

Yours sincerely,
Jim Collier,
Tamar River, Launceston