House debates

Tuesday, 13 February 2024

Statements by Members

Braddon Electorate: Albanese Government

1:30 pm

Photo of Gavin PearceGavin Pearce (Braddon, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Health, Aged Care and Indigenous Health Services) Share this | | Hansard source

No industry in Braddon is safe from Labor's economic wrecking ball. Labor's mantra appears to be, 'Delay, delay, delay,' and it's shameful. My people have had enough.

On Tasmania's west coast, Minister Plibersek refuses to provide certainty for the salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour, impacting entire communities across the west coast and threatening the lifeblood of the salmon industry in its entirety. Just an hour up the road, at the Rosebery mine owned by MMG, they've been waiting 18 months for Minister Plibersek to make a decision on their critical tailings dam at South Marionoak, which will secure the livelihoods of 550 workers. That's 550 families and even more downstream contractors. Keep heading north and you will reach Dismal Swamp, where during the election campaign they were promised $12.5 million. They're still waiting, with that just being kicked down the road—delay, delay, delay. Adjacent to that is Robbins Island, where proponents of the 550-megawatt wind farm are still waiting on Minister Plibersek's approval, with her federal department unwilling to engage meaningfully. You can then head to Burnie. We've been waiting for nearly two years for the Attorney-General to be part of a solution that insures north-west coasters aren't forced to travel all the way to Launceston to attend family court matters. This is his jurisdiction. On the other side of town, Minister Catherine King has ripped away $16 million which was promised for the Massy-Greene Drive project, which is a critical truck route outside Burnie. (Time expired)