2025-06-30
VANESSA BLEYER | Lead Candidate for Braddon
Lutruwita/Tasmania’s environment is unique and globally significant. We have some of the largest tracts of unspoiled temperate rainforest on the planet, and our island state is one of wild coastlines and waterways.
This state is home to species found nowhere else on the planet and are on the brink of extinction due to big industry, and weak environmental protections - species like the maugean skate and the swift parrot.
In a climate and biodiversity crisis, Labor and Liberal politicians are proposing new ways to weaken environmental protections. It’s scandalous.
We know Labor and Liberal politicians are taking donations from many industry players – the same industries responsible for trashing our environment. It’s time to clean up that mess.
The Greens’ Bill would:
- Reinstating the Environment Protection Authority’s core function to be “to protect the environment of Tasmania” (removed by Labor in 2008)
- Refocus environmental laws to cover all environmental harm, not just pollution
- Make the EPA truly independent by removing the Minister’s ability to issue the agency with a Statement of Expectations, and their requirement to comply
- Introduce fines to ensure the penalty for breaking the law is at least as much as the benefit gained
- Introduce adverse publicity orders, a public announcement if an individual or company breaks the law
- Create offences for multiple contraventions and aggravated breaches of environmental duty
- Introduce the precautionary and proportionality principles
- Require proponents to consult publicly before any environmental licence is granted
For too long we’ve seen industries like forestry, fish farms and mining getting away with environmental devastation, with minimal consequence.
The Greens’ bill makes sure any penalty for breaking the law is more than the person, or company, made from doing so. It increases penalties, and also creates a new ‘aggravated breach of environmental duty’ for those who deliberately do such harm – with penalties of up to $4M for corporations.
Industries will always want to make a profit, and it’s up to good governments – or parliaments – to regulate how they do that, and at what expense. Our bill does just that.