Nick Duigan, Minister for Parks and Environment, 6 May 2024

Changes to Tasmanian State Coastal Policy proposed

The Tasmanian Government supports a balanced and sensible approach to developments that benefit Tasmanians, while also protecting our coast lines and their environmental values.

Minister for Parks and Environment, Nick Duigan, said that the Government received advice in March regarding the application of the Tasmanian State Coastal Policy.

“This advice is different to the way that the Policy had been applied to developments in coastal areas since being introduced,” Minister Duigan said.

“This could potentially impact on the use of all coastal infrastructure, including community infrastructure such as jetties and boat ramps.”

This interpretation also led to the Environmental Protection Authority joining an appeal against Robbins Island windfarm in March 2024, which has been approved by the Council, with the decision upheld by the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TasCAT).

“Our Government wants to ensure Tasmanian communities have the necessary infrastructure to safely enjoy marine recreation, while also providing developers and regulators with confidence in how our State Policies are to be interpreted and applied” Minister Duigan said.

“The Government will be looking to amend the Tasmanian State Coastal Policy to ensure that there we can both protect our coastal environment, and allow sensible and sustainable recreational and other infrastructure that is necessarily connected to our coasts.

“The Government will also ensure that decisions made under previous interpretations of the State Coastal Policy and Tasmania’s planning system are validated to address any unintended liability consequences that may now arise.”

“This Government will always support Tasmania’s way of life and provide confidence in our planning laws for coastal infrastructure.”


Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 7 May 2024

Rockliff Puts Multi National Developers Above Tasmanians and the Law

“Forget the best interests of Tasmanians or the Tasmanian coast, one of the first items of business when the Rockliff Government goes back into the House of Assembly will be to put a smile on the face of multinational developers everywhere. They will move to retrospectively make legal what is currently illegal, at the behest of multinational company ACEN because the community, through the legal system, is preventing it destroying the coast of Robbins Island,” said Christine Milne, Bob Brown Foundation spokesperson.

Tasmania’s state government intends to bring in legislation that would retrospectively amend the State Coastal Policy.

“Make no mistake, if the Coastal Policy is retrospectively amended it will affect every square inch of Tasmania’s coast. Developers will love the idea that they can build wharves, jetties and infrastructure on dune systems regardless of environmental impact or the increasing erosion from rising sea levels. Global warming is accelerating and instead of taking it into account, the Rockliff Government abolishes the Climate Ministry and accelerates the degradation. Because the Circular Head community and the EPA have argued in Court that the State Coastal Policy prevents ACEN destroying the coastal landforms, ACEN has demanded the law be changed and so Premier Rockliff has agreed. Selling out Tasmania to developers is exactly what Liberal Governments have done for decades,” said Christine Milne.

“Developers say ‘Jump’ and they say ‘How high?’”

“Historically, ‘Doubts Removal’ legislation, retrospectively applied, has been introduced for pulp mills and loggers and now this change to the Coastal policy is for wind farm developers, fish farmers and of course TasNetworks and Marinus Link. Tasmanians voted for change at the election but instead, they have more of the same. All those who said they’d hold the Government to account need to stand up against this assault on the law, Tasmanian communities and the coast they love. Will Dean Winter stand up or is this another backflip from Labor? Will JLN stand up for the transparency and accountability it said it stands for? Let’s see if the Legislative Council is really a House of Review or whether it will tip the ‘balance’ further in favour of coastal destruction,” concluded Christine Milne.