MEDIA RELEASE: Over 30 groups from across Tasmania call for greater accountability in Government environmental decision-making.

A joint statement, signed by 31 groups, has called on the Tasmanian Government to publish the State of the Environment Report 2024 as soon as it is finalised. The statement also urges the Government to delay making any decision on a number of contentious policy and legislation changes until the report is published.

“After a decade of delays, the Tasmanian Government can no longer shirk its legal obligation – it must publish a finalised State of the Environment Report without delay. It is highly concerning that Tasmania has been without a report since 2009. Tasmanians need a Government that is prepared to be transparent and held to account for its environmental decision-making. No major Government decisions should be made that will have an impact on Tasmania’s environment, until the report is in public hands.” – James Overington, executive officer for Environment Tasmania.

We call for greater accountability in Government environmental decision-making

Tasmania’s Government has failed to publish a State of the Environment Report since 2009, despite having a legal obligation to do so every five years. Until the report is published, there will continue to be no transparency on, or accountability for, the impacts of the Government’s planning and environmental decisions over the last decade. 

A State of the Environment Report should provide a detailed update on the health of the environment and recommendations for management actions to address any declining trends. The Tasmanian way of life is under threat without it.

We urge the Tasmanian Government to publish the finalised report without delay.

Tasmanians were due to have a State of the Environment Report by June 30th, this has now been delayed until August 30th, 2024. Having given the Tasmanian Planning Commission a fraction of the funding required to produce the report, the Tasmanian Government is to blame for the delay. The Tasmanian Government must appropriately fund State of the Environment reporting in the 2024/25 Budget and adequately fund the management actions arising from the 2024 report. 

It is a critical time for Tasmanians and the environment.

Tasmanians rely on a healthy environment for their wellbeing. Climate change, land clearing, fish farms and other pollution of our coastal waters, depleted fish stocks, mining, agriculture and more, are all impacting biodiversity, communities and the economy. The Government has no margin for error when making crucial decisions that affect our environment. Responsible decision-making, underpinned by the latest science, is required.

Tasmanians need a published report to hold the Government’s decisions to account.

There are a number of contentious policy and legislation changes currently being considered by the Government. These decisions will have an impact on the Tasmanian way of life and what the Tasmanian landscape looks like for future generations.

We urge the Government to delay making such decisions until after the publication of the State of the Environment Report 2024, when the best available science should be available. By failing to do so, the Government’s position would be clear: it would rather make decisions blindly, with little regard for transparency or delivering the most considered outcome for Tasmania and the Tasmanian public.

Signed,