Aquaculture in Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania's west coast has for years been at the centre of a battle involving conservationists, industry and politicians.
The harbour is the only known home of the endangered Maugean skate, with scientific studies blaming salmon farming as the main reason for degraded water quality.
Several environmental groups in 2023 asked then environment minister Tanya Plibersek to reconsider approvals made in 2012 for aquaculture expansion in the harbour.
Her decision was pushed back multiple times, before federal parliament passed laws in March 2025 that put an end to any reconsideration process.
Freedom-of-information documents released by former senator Rex Patrick show the environment department gave advice and recommendations to Ms Plibersek in January 2025.
It was open for Ms Plibersek to find that the 2012 expansion had a significant impact on the Maugean skate and the harbour's World Heritage values, the advice said.
The department recommended Ms Plibersek revoke the original approval, something that would have forced a halt to salmon farming in the harbour pending a new environmental assessment.
"Despite this advice, Anthony Albanese chose to ignore his own department, as well as the scientific evidence," the Bob Brown Foundation, one of the groups involved in the reconsideration request, said in a statement.
"Instead he chose to risk the extinction of a species for political gain by allowing fish farms to continue operating in Macquarie Harbour."
A spokesman from the federal government said the 2025 department submission was "from a single point in time under a legislative framework that is no longer in place".
"The Albanese government wants to see a sustainable salmon industry that supports workers and their families, while protecting the environment," they said.
"Changes to the (environment act) commenced in March 2025.
"In August, Minister Watt announced that salmon farming would be able to continue in Macquarie Harbour."
That decision was subject to a Federal Court challenge and it would be inappropriate to comment further, the spokesman said.
Macquarie Harbour is in the seat of Braddon, which flipped from the Liberals to Labor at the 2025 federal poll with a swing of more than 15 per cent.
Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said the freedom-of-information documents proved the federal government didn't "give a f***" about the environment.
"The shameless self-serving actions of the Albanese government and its blatant disregard of expert scientific advice from within its own environment department is galling," he said.
23°C