Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader and Parks spokesperson
On 19 January 2018, just before the last State Election, the Liberals secretly signed off on the leases over Reg Hall’s hut and over the entirety of Halls Island at Lake Malbena in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park to a developer.
Just over a month ago, that lease agreement, which placed a rental value of $80 a week on ‘exclusive possession’ of Halls Island, expired.
When questioned in Parliament about whether he had re-signed the lease with Wild Drake Pty Ltd, Parks Minister Roger Jaensch evaded answering.
Last year, fishers, walkers and lovers of Tasmania’s wilderness were enraged to discover, ultimately through a Right to Information process, the Liberals had effectively given away an island inside the World Heritage Area for $80 a week.
Refusing to tell Tasmanians whether he has re-signed a lease over a priceless island in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is unacceptable. It is public land – Minister Jaensch owes Tasmanians an explanation.
Halls Island is wilderness that should be protected in perpetuity, not gifted in secret by the Liberals to a selected developer for a song.
Roger Jaensch must come clean. Has he re-signed the exclusive possession lease on Halls Island with Wild Drake, and if so - what was the going rate for the developer?