Greens hit pause fracking ban bill

The Greens will not bring its fracking ban bill to Tasmanian Parliament after Labor indicated it would not support it.

A moratorium on fracking in Tasmania is in place until 2030, and Labor says there is no speculation about proposed projects.

Greens primary industries spokeswoman Tabatha Badger said the party was hopeful its bill to ban fracking would achieve parliamentary support.

However, Labor has since told the Greens that it would not support the bill.

“It remains unclear why this decision has been made, considering that banning fracking in Tasmania is a long-standing Labor position -  banning fracking was endorsed by their members in 2015, and they previously voted in favour of near-identical legislation in 2017,” Ms Badger said.

“Legislation which failed as the parliament was not in a powerful minority position, as it is in 2026. 

“With Labor’s last-minute notice that they won’t support this bill, we have made the decision to press pause to make a last-ditch attempt to work with the various stakeholders behind the bill and help them work with Labor, who they trusted would uphold their decades-long position to ban fracking.”

Ms Badger said the current moratorium on fracking does not provide the certainty or protection farmers need.

“It could be lifted with the stroke of a pen.”

The Greens still plan to bring the bill before parliament this year.
“Tasmania needs to secure a proper legislated ban on fracking; the parliament is trusting whoever is in government simply not to turn the moratorium over, or to extend it and have this same conversation in the next term of Parliament.

“Collaboration is key in minority parliaments.

“The Greens are doing what we can to work constructively in the Parliament to achieve a long-awaited outcome for Tasmania’s climate and farmers.”

Labor resources spokesman Shane Broad said the Greens’ move to ban fracking was “nothing more than a stunt”.

“Labor is opposed to fracking on agricultural property,” Dr Broad said.

“But with new uses of fracking technology in development that don’t involve the extraction of fossil fuels, a blanket ban now for the sake of a Greens stunt could be a poor policy outcome.”

Liberal MLC Kerry Vincent also said the Greens’ actions were political games.

“We have a moratorium in place, so why do the Greens need to bring this forward now?” Mr Vincent said.

“We will work through that as we have done in the past, and the moratorium stands.”