Media release – Eric Abetz, Minister for Business, Industry and Resources, 1 October 2024
Liberals backing in West Coast jobs
The Federal Liberals’ plan to provide much-needed certainty to Tasmanian jobs has been welcomed by the Tasmanian Government.
Minister for Business, Industry and Resources, Eric Abetz, said Senator Richard Colbeck’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Reconsideration of Decisions) Bill 2024 will provide a pathway to protecting Tasmania’s job-rich industries and regional economies.
“It’s ludicrous that environment groups were able to lobby Federal Environment Minister Plibersek to open up 11-year-old approvals for marine farming expansion in Macquarie Harbour for consultation, apparently casting doubt over any approval granted under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act,” said Minister Abetz.
“Senator Colbeck’s proposed time frame of a 36-month window for requests for reconsideration to be made is sensible and would provide some much-needed certainty for regional economies like the West Coast.
“Critical decisions on mining and aquaculture are still gathering dust in Minister Plibersek’s in-tray.
“The Albanese Government cannot use Tasmania’s regional communities as a political plaything any longer.
“These delays are a cynical grab for inner-city votes at the expense of hardworking Tasmanians, and Minister Plibersek’s apparent intention to delay a decision until after the Federal election speaks volumes.”
Media release – Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council (TMEC), 1 October 2024
EPBC certainty needed to support critical regional industries
The Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council (TMEC) supports the draft bill released by Senator Richard Colbeck today.
TMEC CEO, Ray Mostogl, said there were too many loopholes in the EPBC Act.
“Industry needs certainty to plan for the future so that we can continue to create jobs, support the community and look after our environment,” Mr Mostogl said.
“We need to close the loopholes and focus on getting the balance right.
“The mere fact this gap exists in the original legislation and can be activated on contested information needs to be closed. Any investor considering establishing an enterprise in Tasmania which requires EPBCA approval needs to be confident ‘yes means yes’ and not just ‘maybe’.
“Tasmania desperately needs more private enterprises, who pay taxes, royalties and the equivalent and offer Tasmanians secure employment if we are going to have a State with sufficient revenue to meet the health and educational outcomes our people deserve.
“The planning assessment processes need to ensure once an assessment is made for a compliant proposal to proceed, then it should not be subjected to changes provided it operates within the approved criteria.”
Media release – Clean Energy Tasmania, 1 October 2024
EPBC reform essential for renewable energy projects
Clean Energy Tasmania has welcomed Senator Richard Colbeck’s draft bill, which would provide some much-needed reform to the EPBC Act.
CET Chair, Ian Jones, said the EPBC Act was having a perverse impact on Australia’s environment.
“Over the next ten years or so, we have an incredible opportunity to de-carbonise our economy, deliver on our environmental targets and create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investment at the same time,” Mr Jones said.
“However, the EPBC Act, which should be all about delivering better environmental outcomes is doing the opposite and putting our clean energy transition in jeopardy.
“It’s great to see Senator Colbeck standing up for our State and for our environment and while the draft bill he’s announced today won’t solve all the problems, it’s a step in the right direction.
“Clean Energy Tasmania hopes that Tasmania’s federal MPs will support an important step such as this.”
Media release – TCCI, 1 October 2024
TCCI welcomes action on EPBC delays
The TCCI is the voice of business in Tasmania and is calling on Tasmania’s federal MPs to back a new law that would help provide certainty around the EPBC Act.
TCCI CEO, Michael Bailey, said that the EPBC Act was a handbrake on investment.
“The EPBC Act is an absolute hot mess,” Mr Bailey said.
“It’s not fit for purpose, it does nothing to help transition Australia to a better environmental future with reduced carbon emissions and greater biodiversity.
“It’s turned into a lawyer’s picnic that is jamming our courts with a never-ending feedback loop of appeals and challenges.
“We welcome Senator Colbeck’s bill, which goes a long way to tackling some of the challenges created by the EPBC Act.
“We are calling on all of Tasmania’s federal MPs to back the bill as the first step towards some commonsense in our environmental legislation.”
Ben Marshall
October 3, 2024 at 13:44
The usual corporate grifters and rent-seekers above are right about one thing – the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (the EPBC) needs reform. Of course, what none of these representatives of the wealthy global investor class mention is we have a stack of reforms waiting to go which will provide the ‘certainty’ they claim they want – the Samuels’ Report reforms.
All around Australia, communities and environmental groups have been begging Federal Labor to enact the Samuels’ Report reforms – as they promised they would. But Labor doesn’t work for community or the environment in the same way the Coalition merely gives lip service to ‘jobs and growth’ and it has refused to give the EPBC the strength, clarity and relevance it, and we, desperately need.
Ironically, if Federal Labor found its moral compass and enacted the reforms, the investor lobbyists above would scream ‘blue murder’* while quietly getting on with their job of making money in a more ‘certain’ assessment and approvals regime.
Sadly, the Labor Party stands for nothing any more, and it will prevaricate and wave through fossil fuel projects, and a myriad of bad plans like Robbins Island and TasNetworks’ North West Transmission Developments project (the NWTD) and do nothing of worth on climate or biodiversity.
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* The term “blue murder” means ‘a loud protest, or an angry outburst’.
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