Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Reconsiderations) Bill 2025. This bill is very specific. It's a minor change with extremely strict criteria, focusing on giving Tasmanian workers certainty while government investments protect the maugean skate. As a Tasmanian, I know and understand how important this industry is to our economy, to the people who work in this sector and to the communities that support those workers. As a government, we have invested $37.5 million as a priority for maugean skate conservation actions, including successful captive breeding programs and expanding the oxidisation program in Macquarie Harbour.

I understand what's going on here and what's going on back in Tasmania with the Greens political party. They see this as an opportunity because their support base is fading away because they are too extreme on all the issues that they are trying to pursue. They need to actually raise their profiles again because Australian people understand how they have blocked investment in housing in this place purely for their own political reasons. They're not just environmentalists; these people are elected to the Senate, their party is a political party and they will take up whatever issue they believe will be to their advantage and become very political. It's all about social media grabs for them and trying to secure elected positions, which is what political parties do. That's what the Labor Party does and it's what the Liberal Party does. But they have no shame. They will put at risk Tasmanian jobs, our economy and our communities for their own political advantage.

Everyone agrees that our nature laws need reform. We want to see laws which provide better environmental protections and faster decision-making, and we are very much still committed to achieving that. Unfortunately, the Liberals and the Nationals teamed up with the Greens political party here in the Senate to block our laws, including to establish an independent environmental protection agency. They come in here today shedding tears and being very dramatic, but, when they had the opportunity to support good legislation to protect the environment, what did they do? They teamed up with the Liberals and the Nationals.

As I've said many times before in this place and outside it in my home state of Tasmania, I stand with those workers very proudly. I am proud of the Tasmanian aquaculture industry, particularly what's occurred and the opportunities that have been presented to young Tasmanians within the salmon industry across the state. Too often it's the minority, noisy protesters that seem to get the ear of the government. This time, our government, the Albanese Labor government, has actually brought forward legislation to give security to those communities. Macquarie Harbour is at the centre of this, but it's not just about Macquarie Harbour; it's about the attack on businesses and retail outlets and protesting outside them for selling Tasmanian salmon. If that is not undermining the Tasmanian economy and the opportunity to expand and have more jobs, I really don't know what it is.

I've spoken to many families when they've been here in Canberra and back home in Tasmania, and I understand how important this industry is to regional areas of Tasmania where there are some good job opportunities within this industry. From the outset and over the course of this debate around salmon farming and the skates, the Albanese government has always been committed to balancing economic prosperity, environmental sustainability and community wellbeing, and we stand by that today and every day. The salmon industry is an important part of Tasmania's economy. As I said, it supports regional jobs, businesses and families and is a big part of so many people's way of life. If we don't have those jobs in regional Tasmania, we lose those communities. Businesses won't open. There are those who try and trumpet that they're small-business supporters, but the reality is that they're not, because they attack small businesses, rallying outside and preventing people from going into those very important small businesses because they are selling salmon grown in Tasmania.

I had the good fortune to travel to Norway in December last year and meet with people from the salmon industry there. We are, in fact, world leaders; they acknowledged that. We know that they've been the world leaders in the production of salmon for a very long time, and now even they concede the quality and the environmental protections that we have for the salmon industry in Tasmania.

I'm very proud of our government for standing up for these communities and taking the challenge of the Greens. But what I really don't accept is the misinformation, the manipulation of photos, and going out into the media and scaring people about the dead fish that are washing up on the beaches. It's just nonsense. These are the extremes that they will go to to get a political opportunity that is all about their own political interests. When we're talking about scientific evidence, it doesn't matter that scientists will put a position that is supportive because of the evidence that they have gathered to support the industry. The Greens will never accept it. It won't matter what you do; the Greens will never accept salmon farming in Tasmania or anywhere else. As a Tasmanian, I—probably more than most—have seen, over decades, the environmental issues that the Greens have used to their own advantage. They start off here and then they want to go all the way. They wanted to stop logging in Tasmania. Then they were all for tree farming; now they're against that. What they say to people in the community should in fact be the truth.

This government has recognised that there needs to be a small amendment to allow this legislation to go through and give certainty and security to that industry. Have they made mistakes? Yes, of course they have made mistakes. But they have also acknowledged that and learnt from it. We have always stated that transparency and compliance are non-negotiable, and any company operating in Tasmania must meet strict legal and ethical standards. They also need a social licence, and I can tell you that, when you go down to the West Coast of Tasmania, you will find that that industry has the support of that community. Obviously, if there's any evidence of misconduct or breaches of the regulations, that should go to the appropriate authority.

Our approach as a government has been to work collaboratively with the workers, businesses and communities to ensure economic resilience and long-term sustainability of the salmon industry in Macquarie Harbour and across Tasmania. I have difficulty with any suggestions that decisions regarding the salmon industry, or in fact any industry, are influenced by politics, because we have always stood up for workers. It's in our DNA. We stand up for workers every single day, and I will never apologise for standing up for the salmon industry workers. It's also impacting on their families, as I said, and their communities. We base our policy decisions on expert advice, and we need to balance that with environmental, economic and social considerations. The integrity of governance is paramount, and any claims of unethical influence should be substantiated through the proper channels.

It's time to put facts on the table in this debate. Aquaculture now provides more than 50 per cent of Australia's seafood and is acknowledged around the world as being the fastest-growing food sector, with global production expected to double by 2030. But ensuring that Tasmania's industries operate sustainably while protecting our world-class environment is a responsibility that we as government members and the government as a whole take very, very seriously. Even if the Greens say differently, that doesn't mean it's right. People have to make their decisions based on fact and expert advice, and a government has to take responsibility for the legislation that it puts through this place. We will be judged by that. But the hysteria, misinformation and untruth that have been spread around this debate are just typical of the Greens political party.

As I said, the Greens will always use the opportunity to politicise an issue when they believe it is in their best interest to do so, even when it comes to people not being able to have a home. They refused to support us and they actually teamed up with the Liberals and the Nationals. For a whole week we were in this chamber ready to actually vote on legislation that was going to inject billions of dollars into the housing industry through affordable and social housing, and what did the Greens do? They voted to stop us having a vote. That's how they use politics. They're not as pure as they like to convince the community they are. They are a political party that will seize every opportunity. But, if we're going to have a genuine debate about the future of any industry, we should expect nothing less than the truth being told and not misinformation. It will always be fundamental to our government that we make those decisions in the interests of the Tasmanian community. Of course, I would have liked to have seen this legislation come before the parliament earlier, but we also have to act within current legislation.

When we're talking about how important this is to the Tasmanian economy, let me remind people that the annual total gross catch is worth over $1 billion and the total processed and packed value is almost $1.5 billion. We're talking about a huge contribution to the Australian economy and the Tasmanian economy. Further to this, Tasmania really is the food bowl of the nation, with more than 90 per cent of seafood products sold domestically and the possibility for greater export opportunities with favourable trading partners. According to industry, at the current rates, salmon production is expected to grow to be worth more than $1 billion. It will grow and it will continue to grow. With that responsibility and this licence that they are going to be given with the passing of this legislation, they know that the community and governments, including the state government, will be watching and ensuring that they remain good corporate citizens.

At the end of the day, it's not always easy for a government to balance the responsibility of protecting the environment and people's jobs. I am very proud to be part of this government, which has actually listened, has visited and has learnt. Now we are able to give that certainty to those workers and their families and those communities. This is the right decision, and I urge people in this chamber to support this legislation. It is important not just for the Tasmanian community but for the Australian community as well.