Over the last 12 months TCT mounted a successful court case that prevented the clearing of 1,800ha of native forest at Anson’s Bay. We contributed to the refusal of a planning permit for the cable car on kunanyi Mt Wellington, and we continue to work to prevent a golf course from taking over at Arm End Nature Recreation Area.
Another recent project is the proposed Hard Rock coal mine near the town of Fingal, northeast Tasmania. This new coal mine would double Tasmania’s coal capacity to two million tonnes per year. No new coal mines can be built if we are serious about tackling global warming. We are working to overturn the project with the help of our allies around the state.
Below are some campaign highlights from the previous 12 months, and some areas of focus for the coming 12 months.
Hard Rock Coal Mine
Hard Rock Coal Mining (HRCM) wants to build a new climate wrecking coal mine, 15km west of St Marys, in northeast Tasmania. It would produce up to one million tonnes of coal per year, doubling Tasmania’s current coal mining capacity. Burning coal is the largest industrial source of greenhouse gas emissions in Tasmania. Coal mines also produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas, when coal seams are exposed. No new coal mines can be built if we are serious about tackling global warming, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The proposed mine will have severe impacts on the local environment, including the risk of polluting ground water and creeks with acid-producing waste rock. There are wedge-tailed eagle nests that could be impacted by the mine, including one that's just a few hundred metres away from the operation and access road. The business case for the mine is weak. Many industrial users in Tasmania have stopped using coal in recent years, so there's little demand for another mine.
A new coal mine in Tasmania would contribute to global heating, undermine Tasmania’s image, and devastate the local environment. Tasmania can move beyond coal, but this mine would undo that progress.
The Tasmanian Conservation Trust will work with our allies across the state to ensure this new climate wrecking coal mine is never built. We have identified several strategies that we can use to make sure the mine does not go-ahead, including challenges to the mine’s permit and mining lease. TCT is in discussion with the Break O’Day Council to determine if the mine permit remains valid as it was initially granted in 2013 and little work has taken place on the site.
You can help by making a tax-deductible donation to the Tasmanian Conservation Trust.
Cable Car and the kunanyi Mt Wellington Reserve
TCT has been protecting the mountain and its biodiversity for over 30 years. In addition, we have been battling the current cable car proposal with our allies in the community since 2012. We were proud to present 2,500 representations to Hobart City Council from our supporters and members of the public during the cable car public comment period in 2021. The refusal of the cable car proposal by planning authorities is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved.
The proponent elected not to appeal to the Supreme Court, with the window for an appeal closing on 5 December 2022. Major project status is the only hope for this beleaguered white elephant. The Cable Car has no sound business case, no social license and comprehensively failed against the Mt Wellington Park Management Plan.
TCT is no stranger to the government's fast-track major projects laws. The major projects laws allow the minister to sideline communities and planning authorities, whilst creating a special set of assessment criteria tailor made for the project. Working with our allies and supporters from 2016 to 2020, we were able to water down the fast-track laws. If the Cable Car is declared a major project, we will need to act fast and work with our legal counsel to determine whether we can mount a viable challenge to the declaration of the Cable Car as a major project.
Arm End Nature Recreation Area
Arm End is a beloved coastal reserve that sits at the mouth of the Derwent Estuary. Visitors enjoy breathtaking views stretching from Betsy Island to Bruny Island and across the Derwent to kunanyi/Mt Wellington. The peninsula is home to at least a dozen sites significant to the Tasmanian Aboriginal people and is formally reserved as the Gellibrand Point Nature Recreation Area, adjacent to the Opossum Bay Marine Conservation Area. The marine reserve is the breeding habitat for two of the last remaining populations of the critically endangered spotted Handfish.
1 April 2023 marked exactly seven years since the planning permit for the Arm End golf course was issued by the Clarence City Council. Absolutely no part of the golf course - not one hole - has been constructed. As well as an 18-hole golf course, the development includes a range of ancillary components, which also have not been started: a practice fairway, a putting course, an underground irrigation system plus two massive water tanks, a maintenance shed, café, pro-shop and a 60-space car park.
The proponent has also failed to complete work on a pipeline that is required to provide water for establishing the golf course fairways and greens.
The Tasmanian Conservation Trust has engaged counsel to advise whether we can challenge the validity of the permit in the Supreme Court of Tasmania, on the basis that the golf course permit lapsed due to failure to substantially commence the project in the allocated time.
TCT Supports Local Communities
TCT works with community groups around Tasmania to support a variety of different campaigns at any given time. With your help, we can continue to provide these groups with the resources they need to make a positive impact on Tasmania's natural landscapes.
Our partners in the community are self-organised and highly effective. As a technical specialist in conservation and land use planning, we offer our partners guidance on statutory planning processes, policy, representation guides, communications (including social media and websites), fundraising, and advice on biodiversity and natural values.
By partnering with local community groups, we amplify their voices and advocate for the protection of Tasmania's biodiversity, natural environment, and cultural heritage.
Donate to TCT to Protect Our Beautiful Island
Over my 13 years as CEO, the TCT has continued its 55-year tradition of working on local and state-wide conservation. This letter is a summary of four campaigns we have been working on; and will continue to work on over the next year.
Your support is vital to our continued success in protecting Tasmania.
Your tax-deductible donation ($2 and above) will help us continue with these important campaigns and fight to protect Tasmania from unscrupulous overdevelopment.
Our total fundraising target is $150,000. So far, we are 30% of the way there. If everyone receiving this letter were to give $200 or more, we would be well on the way to meeting our target.
Thank you for your support.
Yours sincerely
Peter McGlone
Chief Executive Officer
Tasmanian Conservation Trust