Freedom of information documents reveal that the Albanese government rushed through legislation to allow salmon farming to continue in Tasmania's Macquarie Harbour last year, shortly after receiving advice warning of significant environmental harm. The environment department recommended revoking a 2012 decision that permitted expansion, citing impacts on the endangered Maugean skate and the Tasmanian wilderness world heritage area.
The advice, provided to then environment minister Tanya Plibersek in late 2024, noted that salmon farming was reducing dissolved oxygen levels, affecting the skate's habitat and population. Officials recommended a fresh inquiry that could have scaled back or paused farming. However, the government rejected this and instead introduced laws limiting when third parties could request reconsideration of such decisions.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told salmon companies the changes would ensure appropriate environmental laws for sustainable farming. The bill, supported by the opposition, passed in March 2025. Plibersek's successor, Murray Watt, later rejected the reconsideration request from environmental groups.
Tasmanian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson criticised the government's actions, saying it ignored expert scientific advice. A government spokesperson said the advice was from a single point in time under a now-replaced framework, and stressed the goal of a sustainable industry. Environmental campaigners called for a full environmental impact assessment under national law.
