Don't zone Tassie's Sapphire Coast Industrial!

Help us stop one of Tassie's biggest council zoning our pristine east coast industrial!

Take action to stop intensive salmon farming in key recreational fishing spots and migratory routes for endangered Southern Right Whales.

To David Metcalf
General Manager, 
Glamorgan Spring Bay Council.

I’m writing regarding ‘Draft planning scheme amendments 2016/01 and 2016/02’. As someone who cares deeply about Tassie’s stunning Sapphire Coast, I can’t believe you would rezone this coastline from public and environmental use to industrial use. No other waters in Tasmania are zoned industrial – if this goes ahead, it will be a massive change to our laws.

I know you’re under pressure to create jobs, but supporting the tourism industry that depends on this beautiful coastline will create more jobs. And the application to rezone this coastline doesn’t even consider the impacts on tourism. Tourism impacts need to be considered before any rezoning is approved.

Nor does the application consider the impact of this rezoning and the industrialisation of the coastline that will result, on recreational fishers and boaters. Please map the impacts industrial salmon farms will have on fishing and boating in your region, before you approve rezoning of the coast to industrial for the purpose of allowing intensive salmon farming.

I also respectfully request that a full environmental impact assessment be completed before any changes are approved. The application doesn’t even consider the impacts of the dredging required to create an industrial scale jetty. The Field survey was only completed during September 2015. It therefore fails to take into consideration possible impacts on endangered migratory species such as the Southern Right Whale – and we know Southern Right Whales are returning to calve on the east coast in greater numbers.  The application claims that no threatened or endangered species would be impacted, but it then says that dolphins and seals were seen regularly during surveying, and fails to provide specific species details to ensure that no EPBC Act listed species are found in the area.

I urge your Council to protect our pristine fishing spots and whale sanctuaries on the Sapphire Coast for future generations – not to zone them ‘industrial’.

OKB_review

Do you like this page?

Don't zone Tassie's Sapphire Coast Industrial!

Join the conversation