Gavin Pearce (Braddon, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Health, Aged Care and Indigenous Health Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Environment Minister Plibersek has announced that she will delay a threatened species assessment on Macquarie Harbour's maugean skate for a period of 12 months. This decision prolongs the uncertainty for our salmon-farming industry employees, who are living with the possibility of their industry being shut down completely. The West Coast of Tasmania is buckling under the uncertainty, and it appears that this minister couldn't care less. I condemn her decision. Kicking this assessment down the road is a political strategy, not one made on science or in the best interests of Tasmania and the West Coast.

The science clearly shows that the maugean skate population in Macquarie Harbour is at the same levels as it was 10 years ago. This further proves that the skate population data being asserted by green activists with the sole purpose to shut down this vital industry is flawed. Delaying this assessment and the linked EPBC review decision simply allows Minister Plibersek to shield Labor in Tasmania from pushback from Tasmania's salmon workers and the industry in order to shore up votes across inner-city, mainland electorates. It's a year since Minister Plibersek started this unnecessary process, and now families on the West Coast face yet another Christmas with their futures in limbo. The West Coast deserves better than this Labor government is delivering them.