September 2024
Overdue report delivers scathing assessment of Tasmanian Government’s environmental record
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
June 2024
Momentous budget and planning decisions must be based on current environmental data
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.
May 2024
Reform Agenda Launches ahead of Tasmanian Parliament’s Return
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.
April 2024
UNESCO alerted to impact of salmon farming on World Heritage Area
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).
March 2024
Pledge results show widespread independent and crossbench support for an end to native forest logging
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.
More key independents pledge to end native forest logging
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.
Lines Drawn on Major Issues Facing the Tasmanian Electorate
Australia Institute polling research shows a majority of Tasmanian voters support action on integrity in politics, salmon farming, forestry, and housing affordability.
Tasmanian voters expect hung parliament, but unsure who can get the job done
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.
Labor’s integrity pledge should be a priority in first 100 days of government
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.
Experts and community representatives slam major parties’ salmon policies
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.
February 2024
Tasmanian Logging Expansion an Environmental Tragedy
Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s decision to expand native forest logging will drive threatened species closer to extinction and is out of step with voters, the Australia Institute warns.
Federal Intervention Required to Call Out Salmon Industry’s Clearly Unacceptable Impacts on Maugean Skate
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.
January 2024
Tasmanian Government Action Plan Will “Monitor the Maugean Skate Into Extinction”
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.
November 2023
Government Decisions Look Set to Send Maugean Skate Towards Extinction
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
Native Forest Logging Could End with Little Economic Disruption
New research from the Australia Institute, presented to the MONA Forest Economics Congress, shows that an end to native forest logging in Tasmania will have no economic impact on the state as a whole.
Tasmanian Ocean Summit 2023 Calls for Urgent Tasmanian Government Action
The second Tasmanian Ocean Summit, hosted by the Australia Institute on Friday, called for urgent action by the Tasmanian Government to implement wholistic, integrated management in Tasmania’s coastal waters/Sea Country.
Inadequate Electoral Reform Leaves Truth and Transparency Behind
Tasmanians look set to pay one of the highest rates of public funding for election campaigns with the poorest oversight of donations received by political parties, with the Liberals and Labor joining forces to pass electoral reforms in the state’s parliament.
New Report Recommends Statewide Tasmanian Marine Authority
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.
Tasmanian Salmon Industry: Few Jobs, Less Tax
New research released by The Australia Institute today highlights the modest jobs numbers and tax payments by the Tasmanian salmon industry.
Green Light For Labor to Immediately Strengthen Tasmania’s Electoral Laws
Tasmania’s Lower House has demonstrated its willingness to immediately consider any amendments made by the Legislative Council to the Electoral Disclosure and Funding Bill 2022 and Electoral Matters (Miscellaneous) Bill 2022
Tasmanian Civil Society Organisations Call for Electoral Reform Before it is Too Late
Tasmania’s leading civil society organisations have today published full-page ads in The Mercury, The Examiner and The Advocate calling for both houses of the Tasmanian Parliament to strengthen the long-awaited electoral reforms and pass them without further delay.
October 2023
Letters to EPA, Department: Evidence demands state and federal action against fish farm licence renewals in Macquarie Harbour
The science is clear: Removing fish farming from Macquarie Harbour is an urgent priority to be actioned before this summer.
So-called ‘Recovery Team’ Ignores #1 Threat to Maugean Skate: Salmon Farming
The Communique released today by the National Recovery Team for the Maugean Skate is woefully inadequate and demonstrates the undue influence of the salmon industry, according to the Australia Institute Tasmania.
September 2023
Support For Tasmanian Salmon Motion Would Ignore Voters, Economics and Science
With Tasmania’s Legislative Council set to vote on a motion praising the state’s salmon industry, research released today by the Australia Institute Tasmania shows a strong majority of residents in the Tasmanian electorate of Franklin are concerned about the health of the state’s coastal marine environment, including the impacts of salmon farming on marine life.
Federal government advice annihilates salmon industry claims of sustainability in Macquarie Harbour
The Australian Government has released new Conservation Advice aimed at preventing the extinction of the Maugean skate in time for Threatened Species Day 2023.
August 2023
Tasmanian government backflips on measures to protect depleted fish species
The Australia Institute Tasmania is calling on the Tasmanian government to keep in place protections for depleted fish populations. The Tasmanian government has today announced a backflip on planned measures to rebuild depleted fish populations managed under the Tasmanian Scalefish Fishery. Instead, the government has reopened consultation on the rule changes until September 25 and
Federal Government Is Legally Obliged to Protect the Endangered Maugean Skate
The Australia Institute has provided Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek with additional evidence that highlights the urgent need to end fish farming in Macquarie Harbour, in further correspondence about Federal Government obligations to protect the endangered Maugean Skate.
Funding and transparency needed for Tasmania’s long-overdue State of the Environment report
Leading organisations have warned that Tasmania’s first State of the Environment report in almost 15 years will not be fit for purpose without an immediate funding boost and increased transparency.
Maugean Skate Recovery Team fails to agree to act to protect the skate
The Australia Institute has found that a communique, released late on Friday 4th August by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, is lacking action to prevent the extinction of the endangered Maugean skate.
July 2023
80-plus Groups Worldwide Demand End to Greenwashing Maugean Skate Extinction with Farmed Salmon Accreditations
More than 80 organisations from around the globe are calling for the accreditation schemes, Best Aquaculture Practices and GlobalG.A.P., to immediately revoke their ‘sustainability’ certifications from farmed salmon and trout raised in waters adjacent to the World Heritage Area, Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania. The demand comes as federal and state government workshops are held in Hobart
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