Salmon farmers’ jobs safe at Macquarie Harbour: Prime Minister
Jobs at Macquarie Harbour’s salmon farms are safe, the Prime Minister has pledged. Here’s why Albanese has finally backed the West Coast industry in.
Tasmania
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An election-eve promise by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to introduce new legislation guaranteeing the future of fish farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour has been applauded by the state’s salmon industry, but key political opponents say the move risks weakening Australia’s existing environmental laws.
And while both the Premier and Opposition Leader commended the Prime Minister for providing certainty for West Coast salmon workers, Tasmanian Liberal Senator Jonno Duniam described Mr Albanese’s vow of new legislation as a “hollow commitment” with parliament unlikely to return before the next election.
For more than a year, the federal Labor government has been under increasing pressure to provide clarity on salmon’s future in the harbour, after Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek was asked to review a 2012 decision allowing an expansion of existing farming operations in the waterway.
That approval, made under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, was based on the understanding the industry’s expansion would not adversely impact the Maugean skate – an endangered species whose numbers subsequently crashed.
In a signed letter sent to Tasmanian salmon leaders on Saturday, and seen by the Mercury, Mr Albanese lauded new scientific data about the skate’s stabilising population, and the positive effects of an industry-led harbour oxygenation project.
But the Prime Minister said he acknowledged existing legislation was preventing the industry from attaining the “certainty and clarity” it required.
“I understand there is a new scientific report from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic
Studies which shows the Maugean Skate population is consistent with the long term
average as at 2014 and that oxygenation efforts are showing positive signs which I expect
will need to be incorporated into the current reconsideration request,” the Prime Minister wrote.
“But even with this new and positive data, it is clear to me the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act – introduced 25 years ago – does not allow for a common
sense solution on an acceptable timeline.
“Given that, I can confirm that the Australian Government will introduce legislation to ensure appropriate environmental laws are in place to continue sustainable salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour.
“My commitment to you, your employees, suppliers and the community is that salmon
farming operations on Macquarie Harbour will continue and that no jobs will be lost.”
With federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton last year promising that a Coalition government would not ban fish farming in Macquarie Harbour under any circumstances, Salmon Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said the Prime Minister’s own commitment had created a welcome, bipartisan stance in Canberra.
“We look forward to seeing what it all looks like, but the important thing from our perspective is that we’ve got the Prime Minister and the alternative prime minister very clear in their positions, which means salmon farming can continue in Macquarie Harbour at the levels they are at now, and jobs have been secured.
“The science has spoken, and now we’ve got a legislative pathway.”
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff described the Prime Minister’s announcement as a positive step forward for salmon industry workers based on the state’s west coast.
Mr Rockliff said although he was pleased the federal government had recognised the need to introduce new laws for Macquarie Harbour, it was a move that should have been made long ago.
“I’ll never stop fighting for Tassie jobs, and I won’t rest until salmon jobs are protected by law,” the Premier said.
“We’ve stood side-by-side with industry and the West Coast workers.
“I’m proud of our West Coast communities, who continue to show strength and unity in the face of adversity.”
Tasmanian Opposition Leader, Dean Winter, described the Prime Minister’s announcement as “a great day” for Tasmanian salmon workers, paying tribute to Labor Senator Anne Urquhart for consistently pushing the cause in Canberra.
Mr Winter said had led a delegation to meet with Ms Plibersek in the nation’s capital, and had called on the federal government to make a decision to provide workers with certainty.
“Today the Prime Minister has done that,” he said.
“Every conversation I have had with the Prime Minister has been positive.
“His announcement today is a testament to the compelling case put together by industry, workers and Tasmanian scientists who have made an irrefutable case that salmon farming and the Maugean skate can co-exist.”
But the Prime Minister’ promise of new legislation for Macquarie Harbour’s fish farms was slammed by Senator for Tasmania, Nick McKim, who accused Mr Albanese of caving in to the state’s salmon industry.
Sen McKim said the federal government risked weakening Australia’s existing environment laws if returned at the next election.
“Labor has backed in the profits of foreign salmon-farming corporations over Tasmania’s environment and the survival of the Maugean skate,” Mr McKim said.
“Australia’s environmental laws are already too weak. To water them down even further to underpin corporate profits is an outrage and a betrayal.
“The Greens will fight any attempt to erode the protection of Australia’s environment with everything we’ve got.
“This will play very badly for Labor at the election, because right around the state Tasmanian communities are fighting to defend their coastlines from pollution and privatisation by industrial salmon farms.”
“Tasmanians have always voted for the environment, and will do so in even larger numbers after this shocking environmental sell-out.”
Senator Duniam said he had been calling on the Prime Minister to commit to fixing the Macquarie Harbour impasse for more than a year, and called into question the timing of Mr Albanese’s announcement.
“On three or four occasions now at press conferences here in Tasmania, I’ve invited the Prime Minister to recall parliament to do exactly what it is he’s saying now,” Mr Duniam said.
“I’d also point out that parliament has risen, probably for the last time before the election.
“Why didn’t we introduce this legislation last week, or last month, or last year or twelve months ago when we first called for it?
“It’s because this is a political fix, not a proper promise.”
Originally published as Salmon farmers’ jobs safe at Macquarie Harbour: Prime Minister
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