Media release – Concerned Residents Opposed to the Westbury Prison Site (CROWPS), 27 April 2021
Minister Barnett Two-faced on Environment
Guy Barnett, Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Energy, Resources & Veterans Affairs, has stated that he is happy to tow the Liberal Party line and build a Northern Regional Prison on the Brushy Rivulet Crown Reserve, destroying a minimum of 16ha. On the other hand, the same Guy Barnett has approved and supported a Land Grant Action Program through the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) to protect Brushy Rivulet.
CROWPS members and immediate neighbours to the Reserve, Aaron and Olivia Reader, applied for a Landcare Action Grant organised through the TFGA in Round 2 of the Program. The Readers applied for this grant to:
- Fence to protect natural values on both sides of the fence
- Protect the Brushy Rivulet waterway
- Protect wildlife corridor
- Protect and enhance on-farm remnant native vegetation including planting of new areas of native vegetation and improving the management of existing remnants
- Protect and revegetate habitat (including threatened species and communities)
Out of 400 applicants who applied for the $10,000 grant only 10 were successful. The success of the Readers’ application proves the importance of protecting Brushy Rivulet and the wildlife corridor which runs through the Readers’ property onto Brushy Rivulet Crown Reserve.
Prior to announcing the 3rd Round of these grants, the TFGA scheduled both the Minister and Aaron Reader for a photograph to be taken on the Readers’ property to be used for TFGA advertising. When the Minister realised that this photoshoot was to be on the Readers’ property (which shares a boundary with the proposed Northern Regional Prison site – please see attached map) he was quick to decline the meeting leaving the TFGA red-faced to find an alternative property.
In a letter to the Readers dated 24 September 2020, Minister Barnett said “I am pleased to be able to support your commitment to sustainable land management”. The Minister’s support was short-lived. At a meeting with CROWPS on 9 October 2020 to discuss the proposed Northern Regional Prison, the Minister stated that he supported the prison being built on the Brushy Rivulet Crown Reserve whilst also admitting that he would not want the prison built in his backyard. Minister Shelton, on the other hand, stated at the same meeting that he was quite happy for the prison to be built next door to his residence at Bracknell.
Obviously Minister Barnett did not want the negative publicity and clearly believes any association of him supporting an environmental preservation project adjacent to the proposed Northern Regional Prison at the Brushy Rivulet Crown Reserve is not a good look.
