Media release – Tabatha Badger MP, Greens Parks and Public Land spokesperson, 19 September 2024

Duigan must return Lake Malbena to Tasmanians

This is a historic day for lutruwita/Tasmania’s wild places. The fight over Lake Malbena has gone on for years, been dragged through the courts, and seen massive community backlash against heli-tourism development plans in the Wilderness World Heritage Area.

A liquidator has been appointed to oversee the ‘wind up’ proceedings of developer Wild Drake, after court proceedings on Friday 13th.

Wild Drake is now advertised as ‘permanently closed’, and the Halls Island lease cannot be renewed.

Despite the secretive EOI process and developer-focussed administration of Halls Island, the Parks Minster has revealed that the exclusive lease over Hall Island, held by Wild Drake, expires on September 30, 2024.

The lease over Halls Island clearly says Minister Duigan should terminate the lease for non-payment of rent, breaches of obligations, administration, insolvency or the dissolution of the lessee’s company. Every one of these are live options for the Minister.

Minister Duigan must exercise his responsibility as custodian of public land. He must let the lease lapse, and free-up World Heritage-listed Halls Island to be returned to all Tasmanians.

I have written to the Parks Minister, on behalf of the Greens and thousands of bushwalkers and backcountry anglers who have opposed this development nearly a decade, calling for Halls Island to finally be returned, lease free, to the people on October 1st, 2024.

Minister Duigan should end this saga, hook, line and sinker. He can right a terrible injustice by upholding the integrity and Outstanding Universal Values of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

It would be scandalous if the Minister renewed the exclusive lease to a company under external administration for not paying their debts.

This is an opportunity for the Liberals to do the right thing when it comes to lutruwita/Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage area. We hope Minister Duigan will finally do the right thing, end this lease once and for all and return Halls Island to the people of Tasmania.

In just 11 days, the decade-long Lake Malbena saga can be put to rest by the Environment Minister, if he does his job.