Liberals’ One-Eyed Loan for Fish Farms

The decision by the Treasurer, Peter Gutwein, to approve a $6 million loan to the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council for water-related developments raises serious questions about his duty of care to his other portfolio responsibilities.

Peter Gutwein is the Minister for Local Government and the Minister responsible for TasWater, as well as Tasmania’s Treasurer.

The Treasurer has approved a $4.5 million loan to Glamorgan Spring Bay Council for Tassal’s use to build a massive dam. The social and financial viability of Tassal’s East Coast business venture is being intensively questioned.

TasWater raised very serious questions about the dam’s impact on local drinking water availability. It’s unclear whose interests the Treasurer is serving by this decision, because it doesn’t appear to be residents and businesses on the East Coast.

The proposed dam on a private property at Buckland will divert water from the upper catchment for Spring Bay, Orford and Triabunna. These are the same communities who were on water restrictions last summer.

Diverting 1.8ML from the water catchment is deeply concerning. TasWater requested modelling from Tassal to demonstrate the dam will not compromise drinking water availability in dry summer periods, and the public is yet to be reassured.

Tassal claims the water will be diverted back into the drinking water system as needed. But you can’t use it twice.

If there’s a commercial imperative to use fresh water to wash down salmon, and there’s precious little drinking water during the next drought, how will people from Triabunna to Spring Bay be sure they won’t miss out?

Public opposition to Tassal’s proposed expansion into Okehampton Bay has been fierce, and the public consultation process for the review of that fin-fish lease has only just closed. With the outcome unknown, it is premature to approve infrastructure investment for Tassal’s salmon farming activities.

This loan was not even taken through council, it was signed off between the Treasurer and the Glamorgan Spring Bay General Manager. The public have had no say, and it’s their drinking water potentially being signed away.

The Hodgman Government appears to have no intention of listening to the views of science or the East Coast community before making their decision. They have only one view that ever opens their closed doors, the industry’s.

The Treasurer is responsible for multiple portfolios and is being trusted to look after long-term interests for the East Coast community. That should mean not signing off on government loans for projects that damage the environment, local tourism industry, and living conditions of residents.
Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Environment spokesperson