The Albanese government rushed through legislation to ensure salmon farming could continue in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbor last year, shortly after receiving a notice warning of “substantial new information” about the industry’s environmental impact.
Documents released under freedom of information laws show the environment department advised the government in late 2024 that it should reverse a 2012 decision that allowed salmon farming to expand in the state’s vast west coast port.
The documents reveal that then Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek was told the expansion was having a significant impact on the endangered Maugean ray, an ancient stingray-like species, and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site, which includes parts of the harbour.
Officials recommended Plibersek overturn a decision by Gillard’s Labor government that the salmon farm expansion did not need a full assessment under national environmental law, and order a new investigation that could have reduced or stopped farming in the port.
They discovered that there was new information showing that salmon farming was reducing dissolved oxygen levels and this was affecting the habitat, behaviour, physiology and population of the Maugean ray. He said the reduced oxygen levels are also likely to affect the natural heritage values of the world heritage area.
The advice was a response to a formal request in 2023 from three environmental organizations for the government to reconsider the 2012 decision. But Labor rejected the department’s recommendation and introduced legislation to limit when third parties not directly involved in a development application could request that a decision be reconsidered.
Premier Anthony Albanese told the three salmon companies operating in Tasmania that the changes would ensure “appropriate environmental laws” were in place to “continue sustainable salmon farming”. The bill was supported by the opposition and passed in March 2025.
Plibersek’s successor, Murray Watt, later announced that the reconsideration application submitted by the Australia Institute, the Bob Brown Foundation and the Environmental Defenders Office had been rejected.
Tasmanian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said the documents, which were handed over to former senator Rex Patrick after an administrative review tribunal fight, showed the government didn’t care about the environment.
“The Albanian government’s shameless selfish actions and blatant disregard for expert scientific advice from its own environment department are galling,” Whish-Wilson said. “Not only did the Albanian government ignore departmental advice on the urgent need to control the toxic salmon farms polluting Macquarie Harbour, it also took a shamefully calculated step to introduce laws to protect the dirty industry.”
A government spokesman said the department’s advice came “from a single point in time within a legislative framework that no longer exists.” They said the government wanted to “see a sustainable salmon industry that supports workers and their families, while protecting the environment”.
But Eloise Carr, a consultant and Tasmanian anti-salmon farming campaigner, said the industry had never faced an environmental impact assessment under national legislation and “it’s time for that to happen”.
Alistair Allan, of the Bob Brown Foundation, said the documents showed Albanese had ignored department advice and scientific evidence. “Prime Minister Albanese chose to undermine and completely rewrite Australia’s environmental law rather than enact his duty to protect endangered Australian wildlife,” he said.
The government spokesman said it would be inappropriate to comment further as the decision was the subject of a federal court challenge by the NWTAS for Clean Oceans organization, which opposes salmon farms.
The Maugean ray is found only in Macquarie Harbor and has been listed as endangered since 2004. Concern about its plight increased in 2024 when a government scientific committee reported that numbers were “extremely low” and recommended that fish farming be reduced or eliminated to save the species.
A separate report from the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies later said studies suggested the stingray population may have recovered to 2014 levels but remained endangered and highlighted the need for continued monitoring.
