Greens unveil Macquarie Harbour worker transition plan in an effort to save the Maugean skate

The Greens want to remove salmon farming from Macquarie Harbour and laid out how workers could transition into other roles. However, the plan has not been well received by everyone.

Salmon farming pens in Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania. Photo: Eloise Carr

The Greens have unveiled their plans to transition aquaculture workers in Macquarie Harbour into other jobs to save the Maugean skate.

The party wants salmon farms removed from the harbour on the West Coast, where the skate is endemic.

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is weighing up whether to remove the aquaculture licences of salmon companies operating in Macquarie Harbour following pressure from conservation groups.

Tasmanian Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said that the “science is clear”.

‘The evidence is in; for the Maugean skate to survive, salmon farming has to end in Macquarie Harbour,” Ms Woodruff said.

Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff. Picture: Chris Kidd

“Liberal and Labor politicians are siding with multibillion-dollar international corporations to throw the Maugean skate under the bus and, essentially, to not plan for sustainable jobs around Strahan and the West Coast.”

Dr Woodruff said its plan to transition away from salmon farms in Macquarie Harbour would “guarantee” every aquaculture worker on the West Coast would get new jobs.

The organisations that employees would be filtered into include the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Parks and Wildlife Service, the West Coast Council, and a newly established West Coast Public Works Division.

“A public works division is incredibly important because the lack of housing is critical on the West Coast,” Dr Woodruff said.

“Fly-in, fly-out workers for industries like salmon farming have hollowed out housing in the local area, and the West Coast Council is very clear that we need to be building more houses as well as health facilities and sports facilities.

“The West Coast Public Works Division would take workers who were interested from the salmon companies and retrain them and provide them with jobs in that area.”

Dr Woodruff also said its plan, estimated to cost $5m per year, would provide financial support for businesses on the West Coast that hire salmon workers and aquaculture employees who undertake further training and education for new roles.

Salmon Tasmania CEO Luke Martin. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

However, Salmon Tasmania CEO Luke Martin criticised the plan.

“If the Tasmanian Greens really wanted to support the Maugean Skate, they would commit $5m to the IMAS scientists establishing an insurance population, not to destroy the livelihoods of hundreds of Tasmanian workers and the communities they are a part of,” Mr Martin said.

“Their policy announced today bares little factual relevance to either the science around Macquarie Harbour or the value of our industry’s contribution in the North-West, and I’m sure will be received with the disdain it deserves.”

Meanwhile, Premier Jeremy Rockliff urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to end the uncertainty around the salmon industry at Macquarie Harbour.

“It is simply unacceptable that the future of 400 direct workers, their families, and the wider community remains in limbo,” Mr Rockliff said.

“Workers are right to wonder if Labor is waiting until after the state election to make a call on salmon licenses in Macquarie Harbour.

“Workers need to know now. Their families need to know now. The West Coast needs to know now.”