SUBJECTS: $170 million Federal funding for Tassie farmers; Maugean Skate; Native forestry.
BRIAN MITCHELL, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR LYONS: Good morning. Well, welcome to sunny Ross. We're here at beautiful Lewisham, the farm of Rae and Lindsay Young, and we're here to announce $170 million in Federal funding. I've got Water Minister, Tanya Plibersek, and Tasmanian Irrigation CEO, Andrew Kneebone, as well as other guests here today. It's a terrific announcement for the Federal Government, in partnership with the State Government, where we are furthering the economic output of Tasmanian irrigation. So Tanya, over to you or Andrew first? Alright. Andrew.
ANDREW KNEEBONE, CEO TASMANIAN IRRIGATION: Welcome all and welcome Minister and Brian. Thank you very much. Much appreciated to have you here today. This is a very welcome announcement of this federal funding along with the committed state funding, and to go with the contribution that the irrigators are going to make to this very important scheme here in Northern Midlands, but also for the Sassafras Wesley Vale Scheme that's also been announced. This is a fantastic initiative; very much to help underpin the agricultural production of the State by helping us deliver this very important water development.
JOURNALIST: When do you think these schemes will get underway?
KNEEBONE: So, we're at tender for the Northern Midlands Scheme now, so we're expecting construction to commence later this year, and then have first water delivered in '25, '26. And then for the Sassafras Wesley Vale Scheme it's being designed at the moment and we'll be looking to have that built by '26, '27.
JOURNALIST: And what's been the level of interest so far from others?
KNEEBONE: The level of interest for the Northern Midlands Scheme has been absolutely overwhelming, as it was also for the Sassafras Scheme. We originally thought this scheme was going to be about 13,000 megalitres but the 40 farmers that have put their hand up for water have actually asked for about 25,000 megalitres of capacity. So it was well oversubscribed initially, the scheme. So, a fantastic result.
And in terms of the Sassafras area, that scheme was built originally in about 2011‑12 at a 5,000 megalitre capacity. It's going to triple in size. So, it's going to become now a 15,000 megalitre scheme. So it's a fantastic result.
JOURNALIST: And ‑ and what impacts will that have for farmers in those areas?
KNEEBONE: Look, it means that they've got security of water supply which means they can then go and invest in their properties. They can put additional infrastructure on them. They can also take on contracts with ‑ for the supply of their produce with some ‑ with high degrees of certainty. They can also look at diversifying their farms into higher value cropping.
This scheme, for instance, is going to service everything from dairy to broadacre cropping, to cherries. It really just means that the range of agricultural outlook can just be diversified greatly.
JOURNALIST: There were some concerns about compulsory land acquisition for the Northern Midlands Irrigation Scheme. Has that been resolved?
KNEEBONE: We're still in the process of negotiating the acquisition of a piece of land for a dam but that's looking very positive.
JOURNALIST: So, you're confident that will be resolved with the landowners?
KNEEBONE: I'm confident that will be resolved with the landowners.
TANYA PLIBERSEK, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER: It's great to be here today with my colleague, Brian Mitchell, and with Tas Irrigation on the farm of Lindsay and Rae Young. It's terrific to see what Lindsay and Rae are doing here with revegetating and regenerating their farm, and to talk to them about what a difference it makes to see that biodiversity come back to their farmland.
But we're here to make a really exciting announcement about a partnership between the Commonwealth Government and the Tasmania to see greater investment in irrigated agriculture in the Northern Midlands and the Sassafras Wesley Vale Irrigation Scheme areas. This will allow greater productivity from farms. It's 150 jobs during the construction period but we expect around 450 ongoing additional jobs, as farmers increase the value of the produce that they're making on their farms.
We are determined, as a Commonwealth Government, to see water security and water quality issues addressed around Australia, and this is a great example of the $2 billion of water investment we're making around the country, including $200 million in the most recent budget. We're expecting those construction jobs and ongoing jobs, to be really important in the Tasmanian economy. It increases the value of the produce of the farm participating, and, of course, it helps the Tasmanian economy overall. Any questions?
JOURNALIST: Some scientists have raised concerns about the impact of irrigation schemes on river health. Do you share those concerns?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: I think it's very important that when we assess the availability of water we're taking into account the natural environment that the water's coming from; and in this case, the water is being sourced in a cooperation with Tas Hydro and I'm confident that those considerations have been given adequate weight.
JOURNALIST: Does the funding come with any environmental conditions to control its impact on river environments?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, in fact, I might hand over to Tas Irrigation to answer some of these questions. But, in fact, what we'll see, I think, is improved environmental outcomes because of these irrigation projects as the water plans with individual farmers set aside areas that can't be farmed intensively. And, of course, whenever we are looking for water for irrigation projects, we're considering the water that needs to be left in the environment to make sure that the environment is adequately protected.
JOURNALIST: And so does ‑ is the funding contingent on work getting underway by a certain date or anything like that?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, we're working very closely with the Tasmania Government. We're very happy with the progress that's being made.
JOURNALIST: I have some questions on other issues.
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Yep.
JOURNALIST: First of all, the Maugean Skate, what protection measures have been discussed?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: I had a terrific meeting yesterday with the Tasmanian Environment Minister, the head of IMAS, the head of Tas Hydro, the head of the EPA here in Tasmania, with my Threatened Species Commissioner and with a number of scientists that have focused on the Maugean Skate. And it is a very critical time to make sure that we address issues of water quality and low water oxygen rates in Macquarie Harbour. We know that the key threats to the skate are low oxygen levels, and there's a link there with the salmon industry in Macquarie Harbour, and there's a link, of course, with Tas Hydro's release of fresh water into Macquarie Harbour.
We need to make sure that we are working with Tas Hydro, with the salmon industry, to make sure there's enough oxygen in the water for the skate to survive. The skate is one of the 110 threatened species that we've focused on in our Threatened Species Action Plan released at the end of last year. The skate has been in trouble for many years now.
We're going to get the final numbers from IMAS shortly but we're looking at, probably fewer than 1,000 Maugean skates in Macquarie Harbour. It's the only place in the world where they still exist. There's a high degree of confidence that while they did used to exist in Bathurst Harbour, they no longer do. So it's absolutely critical that we protect the environment where those remaining skates live.
We're also looking at additional measures like an ex-situ breeding program. That means perhaps hatching some of their eggs in a proper environment that IMAS would be able to provide. We're prepared to look at things like ex situ breeding programs, but there's no breeding program that's going to compensate for continued unsuitability of their home environment. We need to make sure that we're addressing the key pressures on the skate at the moment, and that means looking at what's happening with the salmon industry in Macquarie Harbour. It means looking at water quality. It also, of course, means working with recreational fishers because we know that skate are getting caught in nets, gill nets and mullet nets. So working with people who are doing recreational fishing to show that it is safe if a skate gets caught in nets, to release it; working with fishers as well to make sure that they're not netting in a way that makes it likely that they'll catch a skate.
JOURNALIST: Are you willing to ban or restrict aquaculture activities in Macquarie Harbour as a way of protecting the skate?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, we're in a very intense series of workshops now with scientists who will give us the best advice on how we can protect the skate, and I'm not going to pre‑empt the scientific work that's happening. We've got our Commonwealth and State officials and our most knowledgeable scientists working together to make sure that we're giving the skate the very best chance of survival. We've made a commitment to zero extinctions as a government and I'm determined to keep that promise.
JOURNALIST: Are you confident that skate and salmon farming can co‑exist?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, I'm confident that the scientists working together can give us a better answer than me just making it up as we go along.
JOURNALIST: Will you be decisive to ensure that the skate is not locked out?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: I spent an hour and a half yesterday working with the most knowledgeable people in Australia about how to save the skate. I'm here because I'm serious about doing that, and the best way to do that is to rely on the scientific experts to give us a roadmap to protecting the skate. That's why we've established the Maugean Skate Recovery Task Force to make sure that we're getting the best advice and, when we get that advice, that we're putting it into action.
JOURNALIST: How long will the scientific process take [inaudible]?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Yeah, there's a number of workshops over coming weeks and, then in the next few weeks we'll have an answer about the roadmap for protecting the skate.
JOURNALIST: On forestry, would you support a ban on native forest logging in Tasmania?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, we know that we need a timber industry in Australia. We know that we need timber products and that that timber industry has to be efficient and environmentally sustainable. That's why we've announced $300 million to invest in the timber industry to make sure that it is modern and fit for purpose and sustainable. 90 per cent of our timber products already come from plantations, and we're removing impediments to further plantations in Australia. We want to make sure that we're getting good, consistent supply of timber from plantations.
We also know that forestry and forests play a really important role in reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide, and obviously from my perspective as the Environment Minister, they play an absolutely vital role in providing habitat for threatened plants and animals.
One of the changes that we're proposing under our new environmental laws is that regional forestry agreements have to meet our new national environment standards and I think that will make give additional input.
JOURNALIST: Lake Malbena Tourism Project, when will you make a decision on this?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, as the decision‑maker, I'm not allowed to offer ongoing commentary on individual projects. Any sort of suggestion that I’ve pre-empted or pre‑decided the outcome of the project makes that project more likely to be ‑ or makes any decision more likely to be challenged in court. What I will say, is that I know that there is a lot of community interest in that project. We've extended the time period so that members of the community can have their say.
JOURNALIST: And just are you concerned about the impact of forestry on the Swift Parrot?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: I'm very concerned to make sure that the recovery plans that we have for the Swift Parrot are put into action. We know that habitat is a really important part of the puzzle to make sure that swift parrot and others recover. Thanks everyone.
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