Sustainable Timber Tasmania recreational hunting motion passes parliament

A motion calling for greater public hunting access to Sustainable Timber Tasmania land and for licensed recreational hunters to be prioritised before contractors are engaged has passed parliament.

The motion from Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Member for Lyons, Carlo Di Falco, called on the state government to direct Sustainable Timber Tasmania to develop and 

implement a policy that: 

• identifies all suitable STT-managed land that can safely be opened to public hunting as the default position;
• ensures temporary closures occur only where genuine operational, public safety or environmental reasons exist;
• regularly reviews closed areas to maximise public access wherever practicable;
• mandates licensed hunters have priority access and use contract shooters only     
• where necessary due to operational, safety or environmental requirements that
• cannot reasonably be met through public hunting;
• integrates STT land with NRE’s booking platform

Mr Di Falco said the successful motion sent a clear message that Tasmania's public land should be accessible to the public wherever it is safe and practical.

"This is a win for Tasmania's hunting community, but it's also a win for common sense and taxpayers," he said.

"Almost $5 million has been spent since 2020 while licensed Tasmanian hunters have watched areas of public land they once hunted become inaccessible.

"We have thousands of licensed hunters who are willing to spend their own time and their own money helping manage wildlife, yet we've seen public land closed to them while contract shooters are brought in at a cost.

"Parliament has now backed the principle that where it is safe and practical, we should be giving licensed public hunters the opportunity first."

While it passed Parliament, the motion was not supported by the Greens.

“The Greens voted against this motion, confirming to people they want public land 

locked up from Tasmanians,” Mr Di Falco said.

“The Greens can’t demonstrate a practical approach to wildlife management and only 

seem interested in expensive helicopter culls and wasting valuable food sources.”

Mr Di Falco said the proposal was not about eliminating contract shooting. 

"There will obviously be situations where professional contractors are necessary, and 

we've never disputed that.

“What we don't accept is paying someone to do a job before we've given licensed Tasmanian hunters the opportunity to do it themselves. 

"If public hunters can safely and effectively achieve the required wildlife management 

outcome, why would taxpayers pay someone else to do it?"

Following the successful motion, Mr Di Falco said the focus would now shift to ensuring the Government and Sustainable Timber Tasmania act on the will of Parliament. 

"I want to see suitable STT land reopened to hunters, greater transparency around why 

areas are closed, and a genuine public hunters-first approach to wildlife management. 

"Public land should work for the public.

“Parliament has backed that principle, and now it's time to put it into practice."