New laws ensuring the ongoing operation of salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour along Tasmania’s western shoreline are set to be presented in federal parliament today—and are expected to succeed with backing from the Coalition.
The Labor Party entered office with a pledge to strengthen Australia's environmental laws , but seems destined to conclude its tenure by opting for scaling back a part of them.
In some situations, these regulations diminish the public’s — as well as environmental organizations’ — ability to scrutinize previous federal environmental judgments.
ABC acknowledges that the legislation eliminates the environment minister's power to reassess past decisions if these matters have persisted for a minimum of five years and were sanctioned under conditional terms involving state-specific regulations.
These regulations are designed to prevent the minister from revisiting the decision regarding salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour, which was initiated due to petitions from environmental organizations. Nevertheless, these rules might also be used to challenge other present or upcoming approvals.
The government aims to get the legislation approved by both chambers of Parliament by the close of Wednesday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated this move will offer clarity for the salmon industry employees working along Tasmania's western coastline.
"Our government has no regrets about backing employment, that’s precisely what the Labor Party is all about," he stated.
We back job creation, yet we equally advocate for sustainability. This is why we have committed $37 million towards sustainable initiatives, including enhancing oxygen levels.
The Coalition pledges backing for the bill.
In 2012, a prior Labor administration permitted the enlargement of salmon farming operations within Macquarie Harbor. They determined this activity did not qualify as a controlled action and thus needed to be regulated at the state level instead.
But numbers of the endangered Maugean skate — a rare, stingray-like fish species found only in the harbour and a living link to the dinosaur age, reliant on dissolved oxygen — were estimated to have fallen by 47 per cent by 2021.
This triggered the reconsideration request by environmental groups, and the Commonwealth funded an oxygenation trial and a captive breeding program .
A recent study stated that the population had stabilised after a period of decline reported over a decade leading up to 2020.
The Coalition has guaranteed its support for the legislation, having urged the government to introduce it sooner.
Coalition Environment, Fisheries and Forestry spokesperson Jonathon Duniam said the opposition would work constructively to see it pass parliament.
"The government, having left it to the last minute, now need to work with us in good faith to ensure that any improvements needed are made, any loopholes we find can be closed," he said.
"It also prevents vexatious green groups from doing this sort of thing again, to a degree, in the future.
"We're working with industry to see whether it does meet their expectation."
[Map: Mac harbour]Some crossbenchers were briefed on the legislation on Monday, however there are concerns at the limited time to debate it.
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said the government had the wrong priorities.
"You can guarantee the mining companies would never get away with an exemption of what salmon is asking for," she said.
"Because apparently, that is what your government is prioritising … talking about salmon, instead of talking about reducing our energy bills in this country.
"That's what we're talking about, a stinking little fish."
Green groups pivot to raise awareness on law change
The issue of salmon farming in Tasmania has garnered increased national attention in recent months.
The industry has been experiencing a mass die-off caused by a bacterial disease in south-east Tasmania, on the other side of the state to Macquarie Harbour.
The plight of the Maugean skate has also attracted national environmental campaigns.
This week, some environmental groups — including Greenpeace and the Australian Conservation Foundation — agreed to shift its focus to salmon farming, instead of the Coalition's nuclear energy policy.
Greenpeace head of nature Glenn Walker said the group wanted to inform the public of Labor's decision to scale back the ability to review environmental decisions.
"The prime minister promised to end extinctions. The prime minister promised to strengthen our nature laws, this week he is doing the opposite," he said.
"So it's become a national issue of national importance that we push back and ensure the community understands what the prime minister is about to do."
Earlier this month, a freedom of information request showed that, in 2023, salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour was "likely" to be considered a controlled action which would require a full review.
Advice to Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek also encouraged a "low impact redesign of salmon farming".
The document was prepared several months after conservation advice to Ms Plibersek urged that salmon farms reduce stocking rates prior to the upcoming summer.
This document described salmon farming as the primary reason for the Maugean skate's decline.
All three salmon companies operating out of Tasmanian waters — Brazilian multinational JBS; New Zealand's Petuna; and Canadian aquaculture giant Cooke, owner of Tassal — are owned by foreign multinationals.
