Unchecked Industrialisation

The community came out on the water to protest Tassal's Okehampton Bay development

The Tasmanian Government has released a growth plan for industrial salmon farming that will allow unchecked industrialisation of Tassie's coastline and no right of appeal for impacted communities. Tell the Minister it has to stop - use our tool and draft text below or send him an email directly: jeremy.rockliff@parliament.tas.gov.au.

The Hon. Jeremy Rockliff, MP
jeremy.rockliff@parliament.tas.gov.au

Dear Minister Rockliff,

I am writing to ask that you suspend your ‘Salmon Industry Growth Plan’ until there has been a credible public consultation process. There is an urgent need for an open and transparent bioregional planning process that engages marine experts and all impacted stakeholder groups including conservationists, native fisheries, tourism businesses and impacted coastal communities, not just salmon companies. Producing a plan before a planning process undermines the value this plan could bring to the community and industry.

Your Growth Plan needs to include a right of appeal for the community and an Environmental Protection Policy that sets out minimum operating requirements for industry including zero seal relocation, minimum site depths and current speed and maximum water temperatures. ‘No go’ zones should extend to areas of high conservation and cultural significance – including endangered species habitat.

The Plan also needs to set clear limits on pollution from hatcheries and help the industry to transition to more sustainable land based and offshore marine production systems.

The plan needs to consider the impacts of automation on workers. It also needs to update laws that allow 100 per cent of marine life to be killed under salmon pens. Failure to consider the impacts this has on company social licence and marketing amounts to a failure to protect workers and industry interests in the long term.

An online questionnaire with a time limit is not community consultation and failure to consult impacted communities will only increase the controversy that has plagued the industry – missing the opportunity to provide a solid foundation for growth of a sustainable salmon industry all Tasmanians can support.

Please, I urge you to suspend the growth plan until there has been a credible public consultation process.

I would like to BCC myself

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