Govt Criticised for Weakening State Coastal Policy

Community groups have panned the Tasmanian Government for proposing to weaken the State Coastal Policy. The move appears likely to make it easier for developments – including the North East Wind Farm – to obtain approval.

This comes on top of the Government’s move to introduce legislation (to be debated today in the House of Assembly) to validate permits for developments previously approved on actively mobile landforms, including the Robbins Island wind farm.

The Tasmanian Conservation Trust, Planning Matters Alliance Tasmania and Australian Coastal Society (Tasmania) all criticised the proposed changes.

Yesterday the State Government released a position paper ‘Review of the State Coastal Policy – Development on Actively Mobile Landforms’ for public comment to 21 October 2024, which proposes an amendment to the Tasmanian State Coastal Policy. The Government intends using provisions of the State Projects and Projects Act that would allow it to bring the amendments into force at the same time as the Tasmanian Planning Commission commence an assessment of the amendment.

This process will result in a temporary policy that will come into effect shortly after 21 October but before any assessment by the Tasmanian Planning Commission.

The Government’s proposed temporary amendment (as outlined in the Discussion Paper) would enable developments to be approved on actively mobile landforms with coastal values only needing to be considered and economic and other benefits to be counted. The government’s proposal replaces a prohibition of development on sensitive actively mobile landforms with an ‘anything goe’s cost and benefit assessment.

Even if the temporary policy does not survive the Tasmanian Planning Commission assessment process it will be in place long enough to enable the approval of the wharf needed to construct the North East Wind Farm project and could apply to the Robbins Island wind farm if the Validation Bill does not pass.

“The proposed temporary amendment to the coastal policy is designed to enable the destruction of actively mobile landforms that are currently protected,” said TCT CEO Peter McGlone.

“Magnificent coastal landforms such as Back Banks mobile frontal dunes on Ransonnet Bay, eastern Robbins Island and a similar dune system at Ringarooma Bay will be destroyed if the coastal policy is amended.”

Upon reading the Position Paper, Dr Eric Woehler OAM, Co-chair of the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Coastal Society, said: “a Phillipine energy company has more say on Tasmania’s coasts than does the Tasmanian community.”

PMAT State Director Sophie Underwood said that the government wants to fast track changes to the State Coastal Policy and then fast track changes to the Tasmanian Planning Scheme to facilitate two proposed wind farms both being built across mobile sand dunes that would otherwise be prohibited.

“We should be strengthening the Tasmanian State Coastal Policy rather than weakening it,” she said. “The Tasmanian Government is making a mockery of our planning system.”