Today, 20 environment groups have signed an open letter calling on the Rockcliff Government to acknowledge the damning findings from Tasmania’s 2024 State of the Environment Report and commit to reversing the state’s environmental declines.

It has been a month since the 2024 Report was published. There has been no official response from Tasmania’s Government over that time. According to the 2024 Report, the state government needs to commit to a new vision and strategy for the environment. If Tasmania is to have a flourishing  environment, which is fundamental to the state’s economy and Tasmanian way of life, government inaction is not an option.

Read the open letter here:

We call on the Tasmanian Government to repair what it has broken.

Tasmania’s environment has been in a state of decline since 2009, according to the State of the Environment Report 2024. The majority of environmental indicators reviewed in the 2024 Report were ‘getting worse’ ranging from the deterioration of the state’s beaches and rapid loss in native vegetation, to the increase in animals and plants threatened with extinction. 

Over a third of indicators are now classified as in ‘poor condition’, including Tasmania’s native bird populations. The state’s unmatched natural beauty has been a cornerstone of the island’s economy and the Tasmanian way of life but over the past 15 years Tasmanians have suffered considerable environmental losses. 

The Tasmanian Government is responsible for the condition of the environment.

A series of rule changes, made by the state government over the last decade, has cut nature protection, devastated the environment and reduced the power of Tasmanians wishing to protect their island home. First Nations knowledge continues to be ignored. This is set to continue, with additional changes being considered by the government, capable of further harming the state’s already damaged environment. 

Decision-making must now be underpinned by the evidence in the 2024 Report. 

Insufficient government funding for monitoring and reporting has contributed to gaps in the 2024 Report, which should be addressed. That said, there is a wealth of evidence in the report which can accurately guide government decision-making. The report offers a scathing review of the state government’s monitoring and management systems. A fundamental change to the government’s vision and strategy is required, according to the report, to safeguard the long-term environmental health of the state, which Tasmanians rely on. 

We urge the Tasmanian Government to stand up and show proper leadership.

No official response, no apology and no brave new plan has been put forward by the state government in response to the 2024 Report. It is within this government’s power to end the rampant degradation of Tasmania's environment and build a far healthier, wealthier state.

Environmental destruction, driven by government decision-making, must now end. We call on the state government to acknowledge the crisis, commit to stopping the harm, protect what is left and restore what has been lost.

Signed,

Now is not a time to remain silent, now is a time to show leadership. A healthy environment is fundamental for a strong state economy and the Tasmanian way of life. The Report is clear; Tasmania’s government must produce a new vision and strategy for the environment, one that affords it far greater protection,” said James Overington, executive officer, Environment Tasmania

Tasmanians should be alarmed by what the Report reveals about the deteriorating state of Tasmania’s environment. The Report shows that Tasmania’s unique environmental assets have been severely impacted by years of neglect from the state government. Now that we finally have this report, Tasmanians can hold their government to account,” said Eloise Carr, Director, The Australia Institute Tasmania

For 15 years, Tasmanians have been kept in the dark about the dismal state of Lutruwita / Tasmania's environment. Now that the State of the Environment report has finally been released after a decade-long delay, it underscores the need for urgent action to stop the catastrophic decline in Lutruwita / Tasmania's iconic ecosystems and wild places," said Alice Hardinge, Tasmanian Campaigns Manager, The Wilderness Society.