PUBLIC MONEY SPENT FOR PRIVATE PROFIT
Are Fish Farms the New Sacred Cow that Forestry Was?
The Tasmanian Greens asked Primary Industries Minister Byran Green today in Parliament about the information that the Federal Environment Department, under the Environment Protection, Biodiversity and Conservation Act (1999), has required from DPIPWE in regards to the marine farm expansion proposal in Macquarie Harbour.
Greens Primary Industries Spokesperson Kim Booth MP asked Minister Green firstly, whether he was aware that the EPBC unit had requested more information from DPIPWE and secondly, whether the work that DPIPWE was doing constituted a conflict of interest as well as raising serious probity issues to do with public money spending on behalf of private companies that stand to profit from any fish farm development.
“The Tasmanian Greens are very concerned that there is conflict of interest by having DPIPWE act as a proponent on behalf of these private companies and serious probity issues to do with public money being spent in this way.”
“What other company receives such special treatment?”
““Despite the Minister stating that he had received numerous updates on this project he did not have specific information to hand about the requests made by the Federal Department.”
“The Minister has committed to providing me with the information detailing what has been requested by the EPBC Unit from DPIPWE and I will continue to follow this up as a matter of public interest.”
“There is a conflict of interest insofar as DPIPWE will be compelled to continue acting on behalf of the proponent to cover the fact that there were significant flaws in the approval given by the Marine Farming Review Panel’s assessment of the proposal in the first place,” said Mr Booth.
“This request from the Federal Department for more information highlights that DPIPWE was in fact incorrect when they submitted that the expansion did not require assessment under the EPBC Act as all matters of national environmental significance had been considered in the Marine Farming Review Panel.”
“Clearly, there are gaping holes in the proposal which was apparent to the Tasmanian Greens and stakeholders when the Marine Farming Planning Review Panel approved the Proponents’ expansion under the proviso that there be an expert reference group be established to advise on future monitoring and management of the farming operations, due to uncertainty over potential conditions in the environment changing.”
“This was a red flag that the Panel did not have sufficient information to have the confidence to say it knows what the impacts of its approval will be from this expansion in Macquarie Harbour.”
“We have just seen the Federal Environment Minister introduce the precautionary principle into assessments of marine impact when it comes to the trawler and it behoves the state government to do the same.”
“The assessment by the EPBC Unit has now been going on for around three months. That’s three months of public money and resources being spent on a getting a private project across the line.”
“The success of Tasmania’s brand is quality over quantity. We need to be able to say our salmon or trout or other aquaculture produce are the world’s best.”
