The Forestry (Rebuilding the Forest Industry) Act 2014 (FRFI Act), passed the Tasmanian Parliament on 2 September 2014 and commenced on 22 October. It includes provisions which amend the statutory management objectives and purposes for all conservation areas and regional reserves (clauses 27 and 31) to specifically permit harvesting of special species timbers.
Seven Mile Beach golf resort
On 19 September 2014 the Tasmanian Planning Commission (TPC) refused the Goggin Foundation (GF) application to have much of the eastern half of the Seven Mile Peninsula rezoned to enable a golf resort and housing development. This decision followed the Clarence City Council’s (CCC) decision in February this year to oppose the rezoning.
Salmon Farming November 2014
Salmon farming production has increased by around 171% over the past decade in Tasmania and salmon companies have stated that they want to double production by 2030. Whilst the industry provides much-needed regional jobs, anecdotal and scientific reports suggest that impacts are increasing, monitoring is inadequate and the expansion of the industry needs to slow down and be done in a more strategically planned and transparent way.
Restore Skyline Tier
In the late 1960s to early 1970s the Reece Government in Tasmania funded the landscape-scale conversion of native forest to radiata pine plantation in the Fingal Valley/Mathinna and Scamander (Skyline Tier) areas. This was done as much to create jobs for unemployed miners in the region as for any guaranteed commercial outcome. In the early 2000s clearfelling of mature pines on the visually prominent and steep eastern slopes of Skyline Tier triggered community interest and concern.
A roadblock for environmental one-stop shop
The Greens have secured a deal with the Palmer United Party (PUP) and Labor that effectively kills the federal government’s plan to hand its environmental approval powers to the states under its ‘one-stop shop’ policy. The deal builds on PUP’s refusal a month ago to allow federal approval of mines and coal seam gas projects impacting on a water resource — known as the ‘water trigger’ — to be handed to the states.
Planning Reform November 2014
The state government recently released a discussion paper ‘Reforming Tasmania’s Planning System: a position paper on the Land Use Planning and Approvals Amendments Bill 2014’ to selected stakeholders requesting their comments. The Planning Position Paper includes numerous proposals – I estimate more than half – which were not mentioned in the Liberals’ election policy on planning. Other included proposals are justified as being delivery of a ‘Fairer, Faster, Cheaper and Simpler Planning System’ but the rationale is less than convincing.
Mobile Muster
MobileMuster is the Australian mobile phone industry’s official product stewardship program. It is a free mobile phone recycling program that accepts all brands and types of mobile phones, plus their batteries, chargers and accessories. Basically, it’s the industry’s way of ensuring mobile phone products don’t end up in landfill – but instead are recycled in a safe, secure and ethical way.
Director’s report July 2014
It is unsurprising that the new state and federal conservative governments would introduce policies and legislation that are anti protection of the environment. Not only did they flag specific anti-environment policies during state and national elections, but the Liberal Party seems to me to be determined to define itself principally by being less green that the Labor Party.
Pets and Pests – biosecurity in Australia
Practitioners from a range of disciplines and countries spoke about emerging threats and new technologies being developed and applied in the field of vertebrate pest management. Pest species and their associated management challenges discussed at the conference ranged from old foes including wild dogs, feral horses, feral cats, camels, goats, foxes, Indian mynas, starlings, pigs, deer, rabbits, carp, rats, wallabies and possums to new arrivals such as smooth newts in Victoria and black-spined toads.
Three Capes Track construction
Super-trawler will deplete fisheries
One of the main concerns of opponents of the proposed introduction of the super-trawler into Australia’s small pelagic fishery was the failure to properly manage the risk of localised depletion. Recent developments have not reduced this concern. There is currently not even an agreed definition for localised depletion in Australia’s small pelagic fishery.
State government calls for development proposals for reserved land
In June 2014 the state government advertised in Tasmanian newspapers for expressions of interest (EOI) for tourism developments in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, national parks and other reserves. The very brief publicly available questions-and-answers document, ‘Tourism Investment Opportunities in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, National Parks and Reserves’ (Q&A document), makes for disturbing reading.