Andrea Dawkins MP | Greens' Water and Tourism spokesperson
The Liberals' daily self-congratulation on water and sewerage is disingenuous. After three years of neglect and dodging questions, they're now pumping out daily media statements on how critical sewerage infrastructure is, and congratulating themselves on their “plan”.
The Greens have been asking the government to tackle the State's water and sewerage woes since they came to office. Their inaction has put the State's brand and premium produce at serious risk.
Half a dozen dot points is not a plan. There are still many unanswered questions about the Liberals' water and sewerage proclamations. It's still unclear how the targets would be achieved, and why seizing TasWater is necessary.
Peter Gutwein has yet to articulate how he will achieve timeframes that TasWater, the experts, claim are not possible. Saying he will cut the timeframe is not a plan, it's a goal.
If the government truly believes additional finance will make the process that much faster, then they have failed by not heeding three years of calls to take notice.
Government should help remove the threats to Tasmania's premium produce that visitors travel far to sample. Access to a clean, safe water supply is just one. The Liberals are yet produce their long overdue Climate Plan, which should ensure wine makers and producers are supported to adapt to a warming climate.