The Tasmanian political landscape is no stranger to wars of an environmental nature. It began with the war against a dam in the Franklin River, which spawned the birth of the Greens.
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The battle lines then shifted to mining, although that never reached the fever-pitched highs seen during the lofty heights of the forestry wars in Tasmania’s wilderness.
Now there’s a new fight brewing. It has been simmering along for a few months, only recently ignited by the application for a new fish farm on the East Coast at Okehampton Bay.
All the usual suspects are involved – the Liberal Party leading the charge, with the Greens firing salvos at every available opportunity.
The Liberals say Labor is pandering to the Greens. The Greens say both Labor and the Liberals are cast from the same mold.
There was a seeming unwillingness initially for state Labor to throw its proverbial hat into the ring – a fact not lost on the spin doctors within the halls of Liberal HQ.
Labor was noticeably silent to climb off the political fence for a number of weeks – a fact that no doubt unnerved some within the party.
Then came the announcement on Tuesday that Labor “accepted” the review panel’s findings. It was hardly a resounding endorsement of the embattled industry.
Rebecca White outlined her party’s position on all future salmon leases by advocating for increased scrutiny and the collection of real-time environmental data.
“But, in recognition of growing community interest in the regulation of the salmon industry, we believe the Okehampton lease should be subject to the most stringent environmental regulations and oversight,” Ms White told the media.
Surely that’s already the job of the state’s Environmental Protection Agency? At least one would hope so.
The Greens have been much more pointed. They say that the future of the industry is either in the ocean, or on the land.
Whatever the outcome, the Okehampton Bay project did tick all the boxes of the Marine Farm Planning Review Panel’s team of experts and should be allowed to proceed unhindered – provided it does meet all the necessary environmental regulations.
The last thing this state needs is another lengthy environmental fight. It’s fair to say, most Tasmanians are growing tired of such things.
