26th Oct 2009, 4:08 PM – Representatives Motions - Environment Protection - Disallow

The majority voted against a motion:

That the inclusion of ecological communities in the list of threatened ecological communities (Lowland Native Grasslands of Tasmania), made on 18 June 2009 under section 181 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, be disallowed.

What was this motion about?

Liberal MP Greg Hunt, who introduced by the motion, explained that:

In essence what this motion is about is that in June the federal Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts sought to list the lowland native grasslands of Tasmania as critically endangered under the EPBC Act of 1999. The problem is that the listing of the grasslands would have the effect of restricting activities carried out by farmers and other landholders where they would still be allowed access to grazing. Farmers and the Tasmanian government, a state Labor government, are concerned that there was no or inadequate consultation on the decision.