The Tasmanian Greens today said that the appointment of a new Secretary of the Department of Industries, Energy and Resources (DIER), presents a new opportunity to refocus the Department to reflect the challenges of climate change.

Greens Opposition Leader and Shadow Climate Change spokesperson Nick McKim MP said that the Department contains key infrastructure policy areas, such as transport, energy, forestry and mining, which account for a significant percentage of Tasmania’s greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore requires a strong focus on developing strategies to reduce those emissions.

Mr McKim also proposed that the Department be renamed the Department of Climate and Resources to reflect its obligations to incorporate a climate change focus in its policy direction.

“The appointment of a new Secretary provides an opportunity for DIER to be refocused on driving sustainable policy in transport, energy and resources which is aimed at reducing the State’s greenhouse gas emissions,” Mr McKim said.

“This is the Department which is responsible for decisions on managing our resources, and developing transport and energy strategies, and the development of low emission infrastructure, therefore it must also incorporate as a primary policy goal reductions inn the state’s greenhouse emissions and t the framework for the new green economy.”

“A new Secretary is a good start in refocusing DIER into being a 21st century department, but fundamental changes in the policy direction of the Department must be driven from the top of the organisation.”

“The new 21st Century focus of the Department would be best reflected in renaming the Department, along the lines of the Department for Climate and Resources, which is symbolic of the need to incorporate the challenges of climate change when planning for transport and resource use now and in the future.”

Mr McKim also said that while he believes that Mr Mcilfatrick is a good appointment, the Greens consider it odd that there does not appear to have been a merit based assessment, particularly given Premier Bartlett’s previous commitment to such processes.

 

The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed the support of Tasmania Police Acting Commissioner Mr Darren Hine for an independent investigative authority in Tasmania, but reiterated concerns that Tasmania Police investigating Mr Jack Johnston was not procedurally fair on Mr Johnston or the officers involved. 

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP also said that he expected DPP Mr Tim Ellis to make a public announcement once he has decided whether any charges should be laid relating to matters associated with the investigation into allegations of interference in the process for the appointment of a Magistrate and an alleged deal in relation to the appointment to the office of the Solicitor-General.

“There is no reason for the DPP to brief the government prior to the Tasmanian community, and given the legitimate public interest in this case I would expect the Tasmanian people to be the first to know whether charges are to be laid, and if so against whom,” Mr McKim said.

“I agree with Mr Hine’s view that an independent investigative authority would increase transparency, and I will continue to do all that I can to ensure that Tasmania has such an authority with full powers and the capacity to investigate retrospectively.”

“This is not to impugn Tasmania Police, but the Greens remain of the view that a Commission of Inquiry would have been the appropriate way to investigate claims against Mr Johnston.”

 

 

The Tasmanian Greens said that yesterday’s derailment at Deloraine of the train bound for Boyer demonstrated why the State Labor Government should be held to account for its failure to carry out properly its responsibilities to upgrade the Tasmanian rail network, as it was committed to doing under the Rail Management and Maintenance Deed.

Greens Shadow Infrastructure spokesperson Tim Morris MP said that the Bartlett Government seems incapable of understanding the urgency in getting the rail upgrade completed in line with its agreement under the Deed in order to minimise derailments and ensure that time-dependent freight can be delivered to the ports reliably.

“The Rail Deed specifies that the Government is to expend $13.1 million on re railing, new sleepers and bridges in year 1 of the deed and 14.24 m in year 2, followed by $12.49 m in year 3 and yet it seems to have spent very little of this in actually getting the work done,” Mr Morris said.

“Because of the Government’s failure to get its tenders let within a reasonable time they are now failing to meet the commitments they signed up to in the Rail Rescue Package, meaning that Pacific National is unable to run trains efficiently without causing derailments such as that at Deloraine yesterday.”

Mr Morris detailed the government tenders that have not yet been let, which are:

- Installing 140,000 sleepers and 20 kilometres of rail — closed 16 May, estimated start 1 July;

- Supply of 60,000-100,000 tonnes of ballast — closed 2 July, estimated start 7 July;

- Supply 3000 concrete sleepers — closed 9 July, estimated start date 31 July;

- Replacement of the Mountford bridge decking — closed 9 July, estimated start 31 August;and,

- Refurbishment of level crossings — closed 30 July, estimated start 1 September.

“None of the five tenders are now capable of starting on time which is a massive performance failure from this Labor Government — they must accept substantial blame, if not all of it, for the parlous state of rail in Tasmania,” said Mr Morris.

“Additionally the Jordon River bridge replacement that Minister Sturges previously stated that he believed would be completed by October is also well behind schedule with minor earthworks having been completed so far;this contract was let in February and was originally to be completed by mid July and yet no satisfactory explanation has been given for the ongoing delays.”

“It is time for Minister Sturges to explain fully to the Tasmanian community just who within his Government is responsible for this failure to meet the commitments spelt out in the Rail Maintenance and Management Deed, and in particular answer why it has taken three-and-a-half months so far to let a critical tender that was actually supposed to commence two months ago,” Mr Morris said.

 

The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed the decision by the Bartlett Labor government to create a transport freight hub at the Industrial Estate at Brighton rather than on the Boral Quarry site, which was the choice long advocated by the Greens.

Greens Shadow Infrastructure spokesperson Tim Morris MP said that at last the Government has accepted that having the hub based at the Industrial Estate, where there was already infrastructure in place and the site was adjacent to the railway line, was far preferable to choosing a site that was on the wrong side of the road and would have destroyed Aboriginal heritage sites.

Mr Morris also called for the government to rule out facilitating a Gunns’ pulp mill related pulplog storage as part of the transport hub.

 “I congratulate Minister Sturges for his decision to use the Brighton Industrial Estate site, but not for being secretive through throughout a process that would have done well to keep the public better informed of the opportunities and problems along the way,” Mr Morris said.

“The larger Boral quarry site was being investigated because it had room for a large pulplog storage site for the Gunns’ pulpmill, not because it was the most logical site for a freight hub.”

“It is still important for the Government to ensure that freight trains have access to Hobart and the wharves to load and unload freight coming and going to locations south of Hobart and it should prioritise refurbishing the Risdon line to enable zinc to be loaded directly onto trains rather than having those very heavy loads being carted either to Hobart, as at present, or to Brighton.”

“I sincerely hope that when this development is completed that it does improve the efficiency of rail operations allowing more freight to be shifted by rail, reducing road congestion and damage, whilst improving road safety.”

 

The Tasmanian Greens today released their submission on the Bartlett Government’s plan to build Tasmania’s new public hospital on Hobart’s waterfront, and called on the Premier and Health Minister to demonstrate they are hearing the legitimate calls of concern from the community about the process and the proposal itself.

Greens Shadow Health spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said there are so many factors that stack up against siting a major public health facility on the Railyards site, that it’s hard to understand how the Bartlett Government could have allowed the situation to get this far, and still show signs of being deaf to community and port user concerns.

“This proposal does not have broad community support. It does not demonstrate a commitment to the continued functioning and growth of the working port. It does not present any holistic, sensitive vision for Hobart’s iconic waterfront. It does not adequately take into account future sea level rise, and it does not make a genuine commitment to environmentally sensitive design and functioning of a 21st Century hospital for Tasmania,” Ms O’Connor said.

“It does, however, have Paul Lennon’s fingerprints all over it. There is a suspicion within the community that the Railyards site selection process was politically tainted by the enthusiasms of the former Premier, who seemed to want to talk about the new hospital on the Railyards site when specific heat was being applied to his leadership, and his government.”

“It just isn’t good enough for the government to attack legitimate critics of the proposed new hospital site on the basis that such criticism will delay the process. This is about getting it right. Tasmanians won’t get the chance to have another say on their new public hospital again, for a very long time.”

“If the government rushes headlong down this path, while ignoring community and port user concerns, there will be unfortunate and inevitable conflict. This can be avoided by the Premier and his Health Minister taking pause to reflect on the wisdom, or otherwise, of trying to push through Paul Lennon’s dream location for Tasmania’s new hospital.”

“We have just one chance to get this right,” Ms O’Connor said.

The Tasmanian Greens today said that Hydro Tasmania Consulting should come back to the table and resume negotiations with staff on a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement rather than threatening to retain the old agreement and pay no fixed increases.

Greens Leader and Workplace Relations spokesperson Nick McKim MP said that Tasmania’s future lies in developing expertise in sustainability, and to do this we need to retain and attract just the kind of people who work at Hydro Tasmania Consulting by offering adequate pay structures and conditions.

“Premier David Bartlett is developing a reputation as an anti-union Premier, and it is crucial that he show greater respect to public service employees in Tasmania and recognise the fantastic contribution they make to this state.”

“Hydro Tasmania Consulting employees have just the kind of skills Tasmania needs to maximise opportunities in the growth areas of resource management and sustainability, and it is crucial that they are offered a package attractive enough to retain existing workers and attract new people.”

“Mr Bartlett is standing back and allowing Hydro Tasmania Consulting to use some of the worst aspects of John Howard’s Work Choices system, which is an extraordinary position for a Labor Premier to adopt.”

“Hydro Tasmania Consulting must come back to the table to negotiate a new agreement, and if it refuses then Mr Bartlett should instruct it to do so.”

Mr McKim said that he understands that the EBA proposed by the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia (APESMA) could be implemented at no extra cost Hydro Tasmania Consulting, which said would be a win-win outcome for the company and workers.

 

The Tasmanian Greens today called on Premier Bartlett to intervene to stop the export of Tasmanian native forests to be burnt in Japan saying that any shred of the Premier’s climate change credibility would be lost if he supported the practice.

Greens Shadow Forests spokesperson Kim Booth MP said that it was extraordinary that one day after Forestry Tasmania relaunched its corporate image trumpeting a ‘science based approach’ to forest management, managing director Bob Gordon was confessing that ships laden with the remnants of Tasmanian forests were being loaded onto container ships heading to Japan to be burnt.

“The spectre of Tasmania’s ancient forests and beautiful rural landscapes being decimated and exported to Japan for furnace fuel is too horrible to contemplate and any state government that had the simplest of understandings of the critical role forests play in mitigating against climate change would rule the practice out immediately,” Mr Booth said.

“The burning of native forests for power generation in Japan makes the Bartlett Labor government a global climate change hypocrite.”

“Bob Gordon’s confession that Forestry Tasmania is exporting native forests to be burnt is in direct contradiction of Forestry Tasmania’s claims yesterday that they are moving towards a science based approach to managing forests.”

“I wonder how many scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change would support the idea of clearing huge swathes of native forest, chipping half the timber and burning the rest.”

“Tasmanians are fed up with Forestry Tasmania’s glossy public spin on science based sustainability when the private shame of this GBE is that they are exporting what were precious stands of native timber to be burned overseas.”

“This practice by Forestry Tasmania is utter madness in the face of the critical issue of Climate Change and the Premier must take a stand.”

The Tasmanian Greens today again called on the Bartlett Labor Government to go back to the old drawing board, and rethink its plan to site Tasmania’s future new public hospital at the railyards on Hobart’s waterfront.

Greens Shadow Health spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said it is becoming increasingly evident that the hospital site selected and championed by the former Premier, Paul Lennon, does not have broad public support.

“Here is another ‘line in the sand’ issue for Premier Bartlett and the Health Minister. The selection of this site has not been an example of far-sighted planning for health needs into the future, or for the waterfront,” Ms O’Connor said.

“The strong, negative community response to the Railyards proposal indicates very clearly that more extensive debate on the appropriate site for a new hospital is required, and more vision is also needed.” 

“There is evident and justifiable community concern over the selection of the Railyards site.  There needs to be much greater — and genuine - community involvement in the discussion and decision-making processes.”

“There are so many questions that the Labor government has failed to date to answer, hence the level of public unease about the process and the proposal.” 

 “Why are Tasmanians only being offered the choice of the Railyards site, or redevelopment of the Royal in the CBD? How much thought or investigation really went into suitable, alternative locations?”

“Has any thought gone into the possibility of having a multi-campus hospital incorporating the current site and for example, the Campbell St site? Was St Johns ever considered? Why were the Northern Suburbs never seriously considered as a suitable place for a new hospital?”

“Does the Bartlett Government really believe the best place for recovering patients, and the best working environment for medical staff, is alongside a busy working port with all its attendant noise and bright lighting at night?”

“We have one chance to get this right so Tasmanians can have access to the best possible public hospital, in the best location, for at least the next century,” Ms O’Connor said.

The Greens have always stated that the new hospital site selection process should have been expanded to include thorough investigation of options outside Hobart’s CBD, including the northern suburbs.

The Tasmanian Greens today pointed out that Forestry Tasmania is a publicly-owned Government Business Enterprise, over-seen by government Ministers on behalf of Tasmania’s taxpayers, and is required to act in line with government policy.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that Premier David Bartlett has made it clear on many occasions that if construction of the pulp mill has not commenced by November 30 then all government support will cease, but now that Forestry Tasmania has thrown down the gauntlet he is refusing to act. 

 “Forestry Tasmania is deliberately defying Mr Bartlett’s authority by acting in direct contravention of his stated position on the wood supply agreement, yet he has weakly done nothing to respond.”

“Like Pontius Pilate Mr Bartlett is trying to wash his hands of responsibility for the wood supply agreement, but ultimately he is the Premier and the buck should stop with him.”

“If Mr Bartlett is unable to control Bob Gordon he should just admit that he is a lame duck leader and step aside for someone who has the capacity to ensure that Forestry Tasmania acts in line with government policy,” Mr McKim said.

The Tasmanian Greens today said that Premier David Bartlett has been exposed as a lame duck leader who has failed a crucial test of leadership by allowing the former head of the Pulp Mill Task Force and current managing director of Forestry Tasmania Bob Gordon to dictate forest policy in Tasmania.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that Mr Gordon has stared down Mr Bartlett, who has gone back on his commitment to the Tasmanian community that his government would withdraw all support for the pulp mill if construction is not commenced by 30 November, which Gunns Ltd has confirmed is now an impossibility

“Contrary to all previous promises Mr Bartlett has decided to allow government support for the mill to extend beyond 30 November, which constitutes a massive betrayal of the Tasmanian community,” Mr McKim said.

“Tasmanians thought forestry might be done differently under Mr Bartlett, but his weakness has revealed that the more things change in Tasmania, the more they stay the same.”

“Forestry Tasmania is behaving like a rogue agency under former pulp mill cheerleader Bob Gordon, and if Mr Bartlett refuses to step in and deliver on his previous commitments he will have failed the biggest test of his leadership since he became Premier.”

“While Bob Gordon ran the Pulp Mill Taskforce it spent of millions of taxpayer dollars promoting the pulp mill, and directly compromised the independence of the RPDC, yet Mr Bartlett has buckled without a whimper and allowed him to dictate forest policy in Tasmania.”

“David Bartlett’s government has the capacity to direct Forestry Tasmania to refuse to extend the wood supply agreement, but unfortunately Mr Bartlett has not got the guts to do this.” 

The Tasmanian Greens today accused Premier David Bartlett of hypocrisy over his decision to leave open the possibility of extending the pulp mill wood supply agreement by asking Forestry Tasmania to provide commercial reasons for doing so.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that rather than leaving the door open, Mr Bartlett should now ‘put the mill out of its misery’ by instructing Forestry Tasmania not to extend the wood supply agreement.

“Mr Bartlett has previously nominated November 30 as his ‘line in the sand’ date, so how he can now be contemplating any extension of the wood supply agreement is beyond me,” Mr McKim said.

“If Mr Bartlett is consistent he will have to instruct Forestry Tasmania to terminate the wood supply agreement rather than leaving the door open for its extension as he did yesterday.”

Mr McKim also said that Forestry Tasmania managing director Bob Gordon has pre-empted Mt Bartlett regarding a decision on extending the wood supply agreement.

“While Mr Bartlett has hypocritically left the door open on extending the wood supply agreement, Mr Gordon has gone further by ruling out the termination of the agreement.”

“This split begs the question of who exactly is running forestry policy in Tasmania, and if Mr Bartlett cannot pull Mr Gordon back into line it will call into question his leadership and control over the powerful vested interests in the timber industry.”

 

The Tasmanian Greens today said that Mr Bartlett’s reported promise to cut off all government support to the pulp mill if finance is not achieved by 30 November this year must include instructing Forestry Tasmania to terminate its Long Term Pulpwood Supply Agreement (the wood supply agreement) with Gunns Ltd.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP demanded that Premier David Bartlett instruct Forestry Tasmania to terminate the wood supply agreement due to Gunns Ltd’s failure to meet the 30 November deadline for the commencement of construction of the pulp mill contained in Section 3, and said that if the Premier were to fail to do this it would constitute further government pulp mill largesse contrary to his ‘line in the sand’ commitment.

“This is the crucial test for Mr Bartlett, and if he is fair dinkum about his ‘line in the sand’ rhetoric he will instruct Forestry Tasmania to terminate the wood supply agreement in line with Section 3 of that agreement.

“Mr Bartlett is the Premier and the buck stops with him. He has the capacity to ensure that Forestry Tasmania exercises its rights to terminate the agreement, the question is whether he has the political will.”

“Mr Bartlett knows that the mill could still go ahead without the sovereign risk agreement, but it cannot possibly go ahead without wood supply, and any failure to terminate the wood supply agreement would constitute further government largesse to Gunns Ltd under a Premier who has pledged to end such support.”

Mr McKim also said that terminating the wood supply agreement would create the opportunity to ‘re-imagine’ a future for Tasmania’s forests based on carbon sequestration and high value adding.

“Gunns’ announcement provides Mr Bartlett with the opportunity to bring Tasmania’s forest sector into the 21st century. The question is whether he has the capacity and vision to work with the community to deliver the required outcomes.”

The Tasmanian Greens today revealed that the main government-responsible rail upgrade contract, that when completed will substantially upgrade the railway line, has not yet been let despite having closed on 16 May 2008, and even though the contract documentation states the estimated starting date of the contract was to be 1 July 2008. Four other related contracts that closed in July have also not yet been let.

Greens Shadow Infrastructure spokesperson Tim Morris MP said that the Labor Government seems incapable of understanding the considerable urgency in getting the rail upgrade completed, that taking three-and-a-half months to let a contract is totally unacceptable, and that the Minister has some explaining to do regarding this appalling performance from his Department.

Because of the Government’s failure to get its tenders let within a reasonable time they are now failing to meet the commitments they signed up to in the Rail Rescue Package, meaning that Pacific National is unable to run trains efficiently without causing derailments," Mr Morris said.

Mr Morris detailed the tenders that have not yet been let, which are:

- Installing 140,000 sleepers and 20 kilometres of rail — closed 16 May, estimated start 1 July;

- Supply of 60,000-100,000 tonnes of ballast — closed 2 July, estimated start 7 July;

- Supply 3000 concrete sleepers — closed 9 July, estimated start date 31 July;

- Replacement of the Mountford bridge decking — closed 9 July, estimated start 31 August;and,

- Refurbishment of level crossings — closed 30 July, estimated start 1 September.

"None of the five tenders are now capable of starting on time which is a massive performance failure from this Labor Government — they must accept substantial blame, if not all of it, for the parlous state of rail in Tasmania," said Mr Morris.

"How can the Labor Government blame all the rail problems on Pacific National Tasmania when their own performance is so woeful and goes nowhere near the commitment that they gave to invest under the Capital Investment Program, which was part of the Rail Maintenance and Management Deed?"

"It is time for the Minister for Infrastructure Graeme Sturges to fully explain to the Tasmanian community just who within his Government is responsible for this failure to meet the commitments spelt out in the Rail Maintenance and Management Deed, in particular why it has so far taken three-and-a-half months to let a critical tender that was actually supposed to commence two months ago," Mr Morris said.

The Tasmanian Greens today described as ‘profoundly disturbing’ the removal of a new born baby from its mother, who is an inmate at Risdon prison, only hours after birth, and have called on the Justice Minister to intervene to reunite mother and baby as long as there are no child welfare reasons why this should not occur.

Greens Opposition Leader and Shadow Justice spokesperson Nick McKim MP said that the interests of the child must be paramount at all times, and any decision to separate a mother and child should only be based upon protecting the interests of the child, and not be due to the security status of any inmate. 

“This is a profoundly shocking situation, and Justice Minister David Llewellyn must immediately intervene to investigate the basis on which the authorities took such drastic action, and to ensure that the mother and child are reunited as soon as possible as long as that is in the best interests of the child,” Mr McKim said.

“It would be a breach of human rights for mother and child to have been separated only due to the Prison Service’s security status of the mother.”

Mr McKim also said that the Greens recognise that there are instances where it is in the interests of children that they are separated from the parents or their responsible adults, but that in this particular case there is insufficient information at this stage to know the basis of the authorities’ decision. 

 

 

The Tasmanian Greens today said the deaths of a breeding pair of Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagles, a critically endangered species, at the Roaring Forties Woolnorth Bluff Point wind farm during the last fortnight, is deeply disturbing. They have called on the responsible Minister to investigate the deaths and ensure the public are informed of the outcome of that investigation.

Greens Shadow Environment spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP, who raised the matter in State Parliament today, said she acknowledges the measures put in place by Roaring Forties to try to prevent the deaths of Wedge-tailed Eagles in its turbines, and the distressing effect that these deaths would have on Roaring Forties staff, but believes that more obviously needs to be done to reduce Eagle mortality at Woolnorth.

“The deaths of these majestic and iconic birds, is awful enough, but to discover that we have now lost a breeding pair of a critically endangered species is tragic,” Ms O’Connor said.

“Birds Tasmania is extremely concerned about the future of Tasmanian bird species and have previously stated that ‘every death of an endangered species is one step closer to the extinction of that species’.” [1]

“The Greens are deeply saddened by the news of these deaths and concerned about the impact of ongoing deaths in wind turbines on a species already struggling for survival.”

 “I would expect Mr Llewellyn, the Minister responsible for Threatened Species, to investigate these deaths and ensure the public are informed of the outcome of that investigation, including what is being done to reduce eagle mortalities at Woolnorth,” Ms O’Connor said.

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[1] “Windfarm collision kills eagles,” Sally Glaetzer, The Mercury, 28 August 2008, p5

Tasmanian Greens Leader Nick McKim MP today confirmed he would contact Premier David Bartlett, Opposition Leader Will Hodgman and President of the Legislative Council Sue Smith to convene a meeting to discuss a process for moving forward on the issue of the size of Tasmania’s Parliament after Mr Bartlett today dropped his opposition to the proposal.

Mr McKim MP said that he hoped that the meeting would result in a consensus being developed that would enable a constructive community debate to occur without the issue being politicised.

“I am pleased that after a positive and proactive suggestion from the Greens, the four political leaders will be sitting down to work together on this crucial issue,” Mr McKim said.

“There is no doubt that the current size of the Parliament is inadequate, and I am very keen to engage with the Tasmanian community in a constructive debate on a way forward.”

Mr McKim urged Premier David Bartlett to come to the meeting with an open mind, saying that some of his previous statements on the issue indicated a view that the current size of Parliament is appropriate. 

“The challenge for Mr Bartlett is to not just show up, but to commit to working constructively to improve our parliamentary democracy.”

“I personally believe that the House of Assembly should be restored to its former size of 35 Members, with five electorates of seven Members each, but I see this meeting as being about process and dialogue, not a prescriptive outcome.”

The Tasmanian Greens today revealed that Pacific National Tasmania has advised the Government that as of today it has terminated its $38 million rolling stock investment which is critical to ensuring that the locomotives and wagons are up to the task of hauling trains. 

Greens Shadow Infrastructure spokesperson Tim Morris MP said that the effect of PNT’s decision is that the three year locomotive refurbishment program that is critical to keeping trains running in Tasmania will now not proceed at least whilst Asciano still owns PNT;putting at risk the ability of the company to fulfil its obligations to customers.

 “Pacific National Tasmania today terminated its $38 million rolling stock investment commitment, which includes the critical $19,320,000 refurbishment of its 2000 class locomotives that was to be completed by the end of the 3rd year of the agreement and involved nearly $10 million this year,” Mr Morris said.

“Minister Sturges today misled the Parliament in question time when he denied that PNT had an obligation to invest about $10 million this year;but Attachment C of the Rail Maintenance and Management Deed clearly lays out the commitment that PNT signed up to.”

 “The Labor government was dudded when allowed a provision to be put into the Rail Deed that has enabled Pacific National Tasmania to curtail their critical $38 million investment in the rolling stock.”

The Tasmanian Greens will today bring on for debate their Pulp Mill Assessment Repeal Bill 2008 which, if passed by the Parliament, will revoke the Pulp Mill Permit established under the supposedly urgent Pulp Mill Assessment Act 2007 (PMAA), and will also nullify any approvals that may have been granted to date.

Greens Shadow Pulp Mill spokesperson Kim Booth MP said Premier Bartlett’s spin in parliament yesterday regarding the true purpose of Section 11 of the PMAA was utterly ridiculous, and his colleagues, especially Lisa Singh MP who abstained on the original vote for the PMAA, should be embarrassed by their leader’s misleading and uncaring attitude towards this appalling Section.

“When the PMAA was introduced to parliament we were told in no uncertain terms that urgency was of the utmost importance and that without urgency the mill would die, but one year later construction has yet to commence and the so-called urgency of August 2007 has been exposed as a cynical manipulation of Parliament and the democratic process,” said Mr Booth.

“Despite Premier Bartlett’s disingenuous statements about Section 11, his opinions are actually irrelevant as, if the Greens’ Bill is passed by parliament, the entire Lennon-driven Pulp Mill Assessment Act 2007 will be abolished including the odious and un-democratic Section 11.”

“Last year Labor MP Lisa Singh chose to abstain from the Pulp Mill Permit vote because of concerns about the pulp mill, but since that time a number of new corruptions of due process have come to light yet Ms Singh is now set to support the pulp mill process.”

“I call on Lisa Singh to acknowledge that a vote for the repealing of the Pulp Mill Assessment Act 2007 is a vote for the restoration of democracy;it is a vote for the acknowledgement of the fundamental rights of citizens to take action in common law against threats to their health, homes and livelihoods,” said Mr Booth.

 

The Tasmanian Greens today said that the Government still had a considerable amount of work to do to ensure that the new fare arrangements for school bus transport are equitable for Tasmanian families, whilst at the same time ensuring that situations that exist at Summerleas Road, Kingston, where children are crossing the Huon Highway in peak hour because the bus on the other side of the road, costs 30c rather than $1.20 on their side.

Greens Shadow Infrastructure spokesperson Tim Morris MP said that the Bartlett Government must ensure that the cost of sending children to school is affordable as well as reasonably equitable across the state.

“The new fare system seems to still leave the question of equity substantially unanswered, given that some families that formerly had free access to school busses have now to pay $9.60 per student per week, seems to be a very harsh impost on families with more than one child,” Mr Morris said.

“It will cost nearly $400.00 per child for those families who find themselves on the highest fares and this is a significant and sudden impost without adequate warning for some families who were formerly accessing free services.”

“A far more equitable system that would have allowed families time to adjust to the new system would have been to apply the stepped in fare system to all changed student fares,” Mr Morris said.

 

The Tasmanian Greens today called on the Health Minister to explain why the practice of “ramping”, where ambulance crews and patients are tied up for hours at the Royal Hobart Hospital Emergency Department, has not been addressed and now appears to be a chronic problem.

Greens Shadow Health spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said ambulance crews and their union are absolutely fed up with the lack of action to address the practice of “ramping” at the Royal.

“I’m aware that last Thursday night, the 21st of August, an ambulance was unavailable for service for four and a half hours between 11pm and 3.30 am, with the crew stuck in an Emergency Department bay, with a patient on a stretcher left in the care of the ambulance crew, while waiting for medical attention,” Ms O’Connor said.

“My understanding from speaking to people in the field is that this is happening every day at the Royal, with crews and patients regularly stuck for at least two hours or more.”

“In March last year, the Royal’s CEO Dr Craig White, said in a media release that he was aware of Ambulance Service claims of increased ‘ramping’, and that talks were continuing with ambulance representatives “about how this build up could be avoided”. Dr White said, “a number of constructive proposals were under consideration”. [i]

“That was eighteen months ago and the problem remains chronic, according to ambulance professionals and the Health and Community Services Union — which I understand has gone so far as to produce magnetic stickers for ambulances that say “Unavailable due to ramping at the Royal”.

“The union is fed up, ambulance crews are fed up, the ambulances are lining up and out of service for hours at a time. What is the Health Minister doing about this issue, which is compromising patient care and taking ambulances out of service to the further detriment of Tasmanians needing emergency service support?” Ms O’Connor said.

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[i] Dr Craig White, Media Release, “NEW RHH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ADDRESSING TEETHING PROBLEMS”, 29 March 2007