There are concerns within the Justice Department that a masked owl roost may be present on a "critical" part of the preferred site for the Northern prison.
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The Tasmanian masked owl is listed as a vulnerable species under the Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Emails released under right to information laws show there have been discussions between the DoJ, the Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Department and environmental consultants about a masked owl roost tree on a crucial part of the Crown land site near Birralee.
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In an email to DPIPWE official Andrew Crane on July 15, 2020, DoJ strategic infrastructure projects director Brad Wheeler addressed the concern directly.
"Andrew - what can this mean if it is a roost tree?" Mr Wheeler wrote, in an email chain that was mostly redacted in the RTI decision. "Noting its [sic] in a pretty critical spot......"
About two weeks later, ECOtas senior scientist and manager Mark Wapstra, in an email to DoJ staff and others, said "we also need to be instructed to further the masked owl investigations and do some trail cameras".
Westbury Region Against the Prison spokesperson Linda Poulton said the department needed to clarify whether there was any likelihood of a masked owl nest being on the site. "[DoJ needs] to actually do the monitoring, think about whether it's a nest, and then form a view on what can and can't be done under the EPBC Act," she said.
A DoJ spokesperson said the department was "continuing to undertake the due diligence work to understand the natural values on the site".
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Rob Inglis
Rob Inglis is a reporter with The Examiner, covering state and federal politics. He is based in Hobart.
Rob Inglis is a reporter with The Examiner, covering state and federal politics. He is based in Hobart.
