Tasmanian salmon expansion paused as Liberals seek crossbench support.
Tasmania’s Liberal government has ordered a pause on salmon farming expansion and promised an independent review of the industry in a bid to win support from crossbench MPs ahead of a no-confidence vote in state parliament this week.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the government would legislate a new marine environment act and commission a study by an external specialist organisation, with no new expansion allowed until the review is completed.
The move follows a mass mortality event last summer linked to endemic bacteria Piscirickettsia salmonis, which has since reappeared in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel.
The announcement comes as Rockliff faces a renewed challenge to his leadership when parliament returns on Tuesday. Last month’s snap election delivered a near-identical balance of power to the previous parliament, with no party reaching a majority.
Crossbench MPs, who hold the balance of power, cautiously welcomed the salmon review, though Labor dismissed the announcement as a political manoeuvre to secure the Liberals’ fifth term in office.
The Liberals, who won 39.9% of the primary vote, have also promised to abandon plans to open 40,000 hectares of forest to logging and to phase out greyhound racing by 2029.
