The Labor-Green Government has been left with no choice but to listen to the cries for help from Tasmanians, and immediately recommence dredging on the Tamar River.  A petition tabled in Parliament today by the Tasmanian Liberals included 1100 signatures from Northern Tasmanians demanding action from this Government.

The petition calls on Labor and the Greens to immediately use the $1 million to recommence dredging of the choked-up river.

Labor went into last year’s election cruelly leading Tasmanians to believe that they would fix the Tamar, yet as soon as they were back into power, they revealed that their promise was nothing but a hoax.

Continued inaction by Labor and the Greens has not only affected the appearance of the River, but also the accessibility for tourism operators, rowers, and business owners.  Labor’s two Northern members are both ministers but have said and done very little for the heart of our Northern natural environment.

The Tamar River has the potential to be a great asset to Launceston, attracting development, investment and community pride, but we need a Government that is prepared to work to protect it.

This petition challenges the apparent lack of political will to get on with the immediate and long-term dredging needed in Home Reach. The Government itself is responsible for the disruption to the previous dredging arrangements by cutting off funding on June 30. That is why any further delays involving new environmental permits sit squarely with the Labor-Green Government and it is incumbent on them to deliver an outcome.

Labor promised to fix the silt problem in the Tamar. That is what Tasmanians want and that is what this Government must now deliver.

The Tasmanian Liberals are calling on the State Government to finally act and clean up the Tamar River after years of inaction.

Our petition calling on the State Government to immediately provide the $1 million promised to the Launceston Flood Authority to recommence the dredging of the Tamar River has received tremendous support so far and I would encourage everyone who wants to see the Tamar silt problem fixed to sign it.

The petition also calls on the Government to recommit to its 2010 election promise to provide $6 million to establish a program to remove the excessive silt, and to continue an annual maintenance dredging program.

Continued inaction by the Labor-Green Government is affecting not only the appearance of the River, but also the accessibility for rowers and tourism operators, and the ability of the syncrolift to confidently run its business.

The Tamar River has the potential to be a great asset to Launceston, attracting greater development, investment and encouraging community pride, but we need a Government that is prepared to work to protect the Tamar.

It is vital that the State and Federal Government provide for continual improvement in catchment management techniques to minimise where possible, the amount of silt flowing into Home Reach.

For too long, this Labor-Green Government has ignored the issues involving the Tamar, no doubt in the hope that the problem will go away. It won’t. We need a Government that is prepared to act now. 

Unfortunately, the Government has used stalling techniques which is contributing to further degradation of the River.  When the community campaign was at a climax in August this year, the Premier announced an immediate injection of $1 million to get on with urgent dredging.  The Government has made a mockery of itself and the importance of this issue by making half-hearted announcements that lead to continued inaction.

The petition is being distributed to local businesses and is available online at www.michaelferguson.com until March 1, 2011.

Mr FERGUSON (Bass) – Prior to the March election the Labor Party promised to provide $6.5 million in funding to deal with what is now a massive silt build-up at Home Reach and in the yacht basin in the Tamar estuary. By June of this year this promise had entirely disappeared. I could say metaphorically disappearing with the falling tide, leaving behind a stinking heap of unmet local need and mudflats of government inaction. The current situation where silt has built up to higher levels not only threatens tourism and looks unsightly but it also exacerbates the risk in the event of a major flood event. To make matters worse, a great number of jobs which directly rely on business access to clear water were quite recently shown to be at serious risk.

Together with my colleague, the member for Lyons, Mr Hidding, and my colleague in Bass, Mr Gutwein, on 13 August I joined a meeting of concerned stakeholders convened by the Opposition, and to which the Government was invited. The meeting showed the following quite concerning news. First of all, the Southern Marine Shiplift – and this will probably come as news to some members – would need to rethink its acceptance of forward contracts to slip large vessels, which come from all around Australia to the Tamar River. This would cost us millions of dollars in lost contracts and a substantial number of jobs.  Glasgow Engineering, which is the provider, or at least the lead contractor, of up to about 50 trained staff to the ship refurbishments would face lay-offs and the loss of particular skill sets to competitors in other States. Tamar Marine would close its main commercial slip within weeks. Tamar Cruises, operating two vessels, would have its premium summer season badly affected by not being able to sail, and Launceston’s Seaport would face the removal of most of the vessels from its marina, which would sterilise the nature of the whole precinct. The rowing clubs, which had previously been promised all-year-round dredged access to their clubs, would face ramp closures and safety and health concerns have been raised by Mr Gourlay in the past. The Tamar Yacht Club would also have its main commercial income from their slipyard reduced to zero with loss of access to its major ramp.

The Government has accumulated quite a list of unmet election promises. It looks like the promises were either irresponsible or dishonestly made. Quite galling was the speech by one of the Government’s ministers at a function in Launceston a couple of months ago where that minister said with regard to Tamar River silt, ‘We need to have a mature debate on this issue’. My response is that what is mature is faithfully keeping your promises if and when you win government. I also accept that substantially silt in the Tamar River is a natural phenomena caused by the input of silt from the North Esk and South Esk catchments, together with the flocculation effect which comes from -

Mr McKim – Stopping clear-fell on the upper catchments would be a good start.

Mr SPEAKER – Order.

Mr FERGUSON – I do not think time would permit, but I would invite you to take that matter up within NRM North and you might find some contrary information.

Mr Booth – It is 38 per cent

Mr FERGUSON – The flocculating effect, which is quite important in explaining why the silt is even there, is a result of the saline gradient in a very long inland estuary. A mature debate should decide the level of equilibrium we could accept as a community. The level of silt currently sitting if the Tamar yacht basin is totally unacceptable and I am wondering aloud why the Greens members in this place seem to have a difficulty with the Opposition raising the matter.

Mr Booth – Because every time we have tried to do something about it your mob have voted it down.

Mr SPEAKER – Order.

Mr FERGUSON – This is astonishing, Mr Speaker.

Ms O’Connor – You’re misrepresenting the facts.

Mr FERGUSON – Well, you can get up after me and explain what you think has been misrepresented. Thankfully we have seen the Government finally hear the message that the community has been shouting – that we do not want another study and we do want action in the river. I welcome the Premier’s recent weekend announcement of $1 million for short-term dredging works. What that will do is salvage the matter in the short term and I believe that will help to secure the jobs and ramps I have just spoken about. I
ask the Minister for Environment, ‘What then?’. It may well be that we settle on a point where a degree of silt is considered acceptable but that should only be based on knowledge of pre-European levels, a knowledge of annual build-up, and community views. We should not throw good money after bad by going to ridiculous dredging levels, and I am not advocating that, only to have the silt return to the same place, as recent studies have demonstrated it would. What we need is a rational, commonsense approach that recognises that the visual amenity of the river is important to northern Tasmanians and that there are many jobs which absolutely depend on maintenance dredging. There are opportunities for us as a State for economic prosperity in improving the river and the riverbank as a place for people. It has been the State Opposition that has caused the Government to act. Now I call on the Government to deliver all of the funds and the political willpower to ensure that the funds and the environmental regulations allow us to have the river we can be proud of.

Time expired.

[6.34 p.m.]
Mr O’HALLORAN (Braddon) – I have heard Mr Hidding and now Mr Ferguson talk about the siltation issue for the last four or five weeks. It amazes me that the river exists at all. It has been there for millions of years, flowing away happily without any silt build-up -

Opposition members interjecting.

Mr O’HALLORAN – You guys are just amazing. It is quite a simple equation if you apply a bit of science to it. Being a former science teacher, Mr Ferguson, I would expect you to know that silt builds up for two reasons: either there is too much going in, or what is going in is not being flushed out. It is simple. We have caused an increase in siltation through human activity and 38 per cent of it, if you have read the NRM report, which I assume you have, is caused by forestry in the upper catchments. We have also reduced the flow, particularly through Lake Trevallyn. So we have done two things: we have increased the siltation and we have decreased the flushing. It is inevitable that the river will silt up and that is what is happening. What we have called for now for a long time is a single catchment authority to control the silt because it is across a few jurisdictions, so I would ask you to support our push for a single catchment authority on this issue.

The House adjourned at 6.36 p.m.

What the Tasmanian Liberals will do:

Invest $9.5 million in the economic and environmental future of Northern Tasmania by tackling the major and continuing silt problem in the Tamar River and establishing a single state authority to manage Tamar River and the Esk River catchments into the future.

A Hodgman Liberal Government will invest $7.4 million over three years to conduct a major dredging program consistent with Option 3 in the GHD Sedimentation Study Report recently provided to the Launceston City Council.

In addition, a Hodgman Liberal Government will establish at a cost of $700,000 per annum a Tamar and Esk Rivers Management Authority, to manage the silt problem in the longer term.

The authority would have a five member board, selected to ensure an appropriate mix of estuarine, marine, environmental and economic experience and knowledge.

To ensure local government involvement, the Authority would have an advisory group comprising of a nominee from each of the bordering local government councils: Dorset, George Town, Launceston, Northern Midlands, Meander Valley and West Tamar.

NRM North would also be involved as a member of the advisory group, given their ongoing work on catchment management.

Why this policy is needed
The appalling silt built up in the River Tamar is testament to a lack of action by the State Government and an embarrassment to all Tasmanians. Worse, it is a serious threat to many residents of Launceston in the event of a major flood.

It needs not only a significant capital injection, but also the will to act. A Hodgman Liberal Government will provide both.

The Legislative Council Select Committee into the Management of the Tamar Estuary and Esk Rivers found:

The imprecision and inadequacies of the current management structure have contributed to the parlous state of the Tamar Estuary and Esk River systems, especially the significant and environmentally damaging siltation problem and the defectiveness of flood mitigation infrastructure in Launceston.

Rapid action does need to be taken to address urgent environmental and waterway management challenges.

We now have a number of valuable studies that have been done on the Tamar Estuary, and the catchment area. The time has come for action.

What we will do

This policy offers real change to improve the management of the Tamar for today and the longer term.

After more than 11 years of Labor…
The ongoing, serious issue of silt in the Tamar River has been neglected over the past 11 years and it remains a serious problem.

Unlike Labor, the State Liberals are committed to fixing this and other associated problems for the Tamar and Esk Rivers and, if elected, a Hodgman Liberal Government will establish a single statutory Authority as a starting point to achieving this goal.

We recognise that the accumulation of silt in the Tamar River is occurring at an unacceptable level which is inhibiting recreation, tourism and other opportunities that the Tamar River represents to the wider region. The silt problem will, if not addressed, also affect local jobs.

Sadly, the upper reaches of the Tamar River, the gateway to Launceston, is barely navigable at times. There is also the potential that such high levels of silt may contribute to a higher risk of flooding.

What the Tasmanian Liberals will do:   Make Tasmania free of non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags within two years.

Coles Bay on Tasmania’s East Coast was the first town in Australia to go “plastic shopping bag free” and a Hodgman Liberal Government will move to remove non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags from across Tasmania.

Why this policy is needed
Plastic shopping bags are a common source of litter and contamination both on land and in our waterways.

By reducing our dependence on them and replacing them with suitable alternatives we can drastically reduce this type of pollution and have a positive effect on our wildlife and environment.

Once entering land fill, common plastic shopping bags can take up to 100 years or more to breakdown, and bags that aren’t buried can become a major hazard for our marine environment. Each year, an estimated half a million of these bags are picked up during Clean Up Australia Day.

The production of single use, non biodegradable plastic shopping bags consumes significant resources including energy, water and materials that could be avoided through the use of suitable reusable alternatives.

A recent study commissioned by the Victorian Government showed that over the period of one year, an average household can save 6 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions, over 190 megajoules of energy (enough to power a television for six months) and 7 litres of water simply by replacing single use plastic shopping bags with reusable bags that are readily available from supermarkets. If every household in Tasmania could make the change we could all make a positive difference.

A Hodgman Liberal Government will work closely with retailers in the implementation of this ban over 2 years.

Tasmania’s major supermarkets are already encouraging consumers to use reusable bags by providing them at nominal cost. In addition, a number of major retailers such as Bunnings and McDonalds and, interstate, Aldi supermarkets and Ikea, already do not give away free plastic shopping bags.

Another major retailer, Target, has banned non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags, and has estimated this has reduced conventional plastic bag use by 100 million bags a year. The conventional bags were replaced by reusable bags and biodegradable bags that meet the (AS4736) standard. The reusable bags sold by Target since their self-imposed ban has raised over $600,000 for the Allanah and Madeleine Foundation charity. If other retailers adopted a similar approach, not only would the environment benefit but also community groups who do so much to create a better Tasmania.

What the ban means

The ban will apply to non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags from January 1 2012. This ban would also apply to LDPE plastic bags that are commonly used by department stores. These bags can be easily replaced by reusable, paper or biodegradable bags.
Bags which will not be banned include ‘barrier’ bags used for fruit and vegetables, compostable bags (which meet the Australian Standard) and paper bags.
Fines will apply to retailers who either sell or give away the banned plastic shopping bags.
Customers cannot be fined if a retailer supplies a banned plastic shopping bag to them.
Following the lead of Coles Bay, South Australia has become Australia’s first “plastic shopping bag free state” and in the first six months of the ban, they estimate that 200 million checkout style bags have been stopped from entering land fill.

It is essential that Tasmania continues to take a lead on practical environmental measures such as plastic shopping bags if we are to maintain our position as Australia’s “natural state”.

We can all make a difference to improve the environment and this is one practical and effective way to do so.

After more than 11 years of Labor…
The Labor Government have failed to act on this issue. In August 2004 a national opinion poll found that 93% of Australians questioned were concerned about the impact that plastic shopping bags had on the environment. Despite strong community concern, the Labor Government have passed the buck and the Environment Minister has sat on her hands, content to maintain her ‘wait and see’ attitude.

In April 2008 the Environment Minister said she was ‘working towards’ phasing out non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags from January 2009. More than a year on, nothing has happened.

Tasmania took the lead on this with a community-based Coles Bay initiative back in 2003. That has become the example internationally with dozens of towns and cities around Australia and overseas following this Tasmanian model. Coles Bay has been plastic shopping bag free now for nearly seven years without any negative impact on retailers businesses or consumers. As Tasmanians we can be proud that we started the ban on plastic shopping bags and a Hodgman Liberal Government will re-establish Tasmania’s world lead on this important environmental issue. It is time for statewide, positive action to finish the job.