TRANSCRIPT
Transcript of an interview between Tasmanian Senator Richard Colbeck and Jane Ryan on Tasmanian Country Hour, ABC Radio, July 18, 2013:
Senator Colbeck: I think I’m pretty much like most other people in Tasmania. My heart just sank when I heard the news. It just continues to send a negative signal about the opportunities for investing in Tasmania. I’m just really angry that the Government was not competent enough to get this approval right.
JR: Do you think it does just come down to a matter of competence?
Senator Colbeck: That is effectively what the judge has found. He has found that they didn’t consider things that should have been considered. When you consider (ex Environment Minister) Tony Burke’s track record in opposing things that have been going on here in Tasmania, his work to shut down the forest industry, the question marks around this approval process, it really does make you quite angry that something that the broader community in Tasmania wanted to see occur now has another question mark over it.
JR: Senator, you say that the ex Environment Minister has been working to shut down industry, but there are those who have argued that the reason this has happened was because he was rushing to approve it, he was hoping to approve it faster for a better outcome for the business.
Senator Colbeck: If you look at the record of this Government over six years, its actual capacity and competence in implementing programs and getting things done property, this is just another element in a very, very sorry track record.
JR: Do you think this will have an impact on investor confidence in Tasmania?
Senator Colbeck: There is no question that this sort of judgement has an impact on people’s perception of investing in Tasmania.
JR: Senator, it’s been argued as well that the Federal Minister’s decision not to list the entire region for heritage qualities has actually improved the State in terms of investment confidence. Don’t you think the Federal Government has gone to quite some lengths in terms of investor confidence and we’ve actually seen a positive outcome through that?
Senator Colbeck: I don’t see any evidence of that at this point in time. As I’ve said the decision yesterday based on the appeal by a very small minority group only adds to the negative perception of investing in this State.
JR: Do you think there is a serious risk that this process of legal action will be followed along with other mining sites and that the outcome will be the same.
Senator Colbeck: Look, there is no question that the new Minister has to be very cautious in approaching the new approval. I understand he is talking about going through that process. He needs to be very careful about what he says beforehand, because it may be that things that he says now could be used legally against any further approval.
SENATOR THE HON RICHARD COLBECK Senator for Tasmania Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation, Industry and Science
