Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has, once again, delayed making an important decision to save the endangered Maugean skate in Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area.

An ancient and endangered skate (related to rays and sharks), which can only be found in a remote corner of western Tasmania, could be wiped out by salmon farming, prompting an extraordinary warning from some of the nation’s foremost marine scientists. 14 Professors and five Fellows from the Australian Academy of Science are among more than

On Saturday 19 October, 20 organisations, including the Australia Institute, published an open letter calling on the Rockcliff Government to acknowledge the damning findings from Tasmania’s 2024 State of the Environment Report and commit to reversing the state’s environmental declines.

The State of the Environment Report released today shows that Tasmania’s unique environmental assets have been severely impacted by years of neglect from the state government, the Australia Institute has said. Key Findings: The Tasmanian Government has released the first State of the Environment Report in 15 years. The report shows that the Government has

Tasmania’s Government has failed to publish a State of the Environment Report since 2009,
despite having a legal obligation to do so every five years.

Leading environment and policy groups are calling on the Tasmanian Government to make the decade-long-delayed State of the Environment Report public before several key financial and planning decisions are made by the government and the parliament later this year.

Transparency, integrity and accountability were buzzwords of the 2024 state election, yet Tasmanians went to the polls without knowing where their politicians get their money, without laws requiring truth in political advertising, and without an anti-corruption body that is fit for purpose.

New research from the Australia Institute has identified 16 key reforms that are required to strengthen and safeguard democracy in Tasmania, which now lags behind many mainland jurisdictions in accountability and transparency.

UNESCO has been urged to request the Australian Government undertake an urgent and comprehensive environmental assessment and report on the impact of salmon farming on the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA).

Tasmanians have been badly served by its government’s exaggerated fears about the condition of the state budget.

Fifty-seven independent and minor party candidates across all five electorates have signed Sophie Scamps MP’s Forest Pledge ahead of the Tasmanian election, setting the stage for the next parliament to end native forest logging in Tasmania.

Independent candidates Craig Garland and Lara Alexander MP signed The Forest Pledge this Saturday, 16 March 2024, increasing pressure to end native forest logging in Tasmania.

Australia Institute polling research shows a majority of Tasmanian voters support action on integrity in politics, salmon farming, forestry, and housing affordability.

A majority of Tasmanians (58%) believe the upcoming state election is most likely to produce a minority government, but the electorate remains unsure about who is best placed to work with the crossbench, according to new research from the Australia Institute.

The Australia Institute welcomes Labor’s election pledge to bring integrity, transparency and accountability to Tasmanian politics and urges them to commit to delivering legislation within the first three months of government.

The major parties’ decision to continue to support the salmon industry ignores scientific evidence of environmental impacts, uses discredited jobs figures, and is out of step with voters, the Australia Institute warns.

The Australia Institute Tasmania has provided the federal environment department with substantial new information and evidence of a substantial change in circumstances that should lead to a change to the 2012 decision that allowed large-scale fish farming in Macquarie Harbour.

The Australia Institute Tasmania has found that the Tasmanian Government’s newly released Conservation Action Plan for the Maugean skate comprehensively fails to deal with the number one threat to the critically endangered species: fish farming.

The Australia Institute Tasmania’s work was critical to triggering the federal EPBC review of salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour.

The Australia Institute Tasmania’s work was critical to triggering a federal EPBC review of salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour, given new scientific evidence shows the endangered Maugean skate, a ray-like animal, is at risk of extinction due in large part to salmon farming.

The Australia Institute has today condemned the decision by the Tasmanian EPA to renew fish farming in the Macquarie Harbour. The decision comes just hours after the announcement of a review of salmon farming in the Macquarie Harbour by the Federal Government, under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. However, the Federal Government’s

‘Thylacine of the sea’ at risk of extinction this summer if salmon farming doesn’t cease in Macquarie Harbour

A new Independent Marine Estate Authority with whole-of-government oversight of Tasmania’s Ocean management would be established under a new proposal released today by the Australia Institute.