The State of the Environment Report is an important means of documenting baseline environmental data, trends and risks across Tasmania.
The Report provides an evidence base to inform strategic priorities and land use planning, including in regard to environmental management and sustainability issues.
As Minister for Planning, I will be issuing the Tasmanian Planning Commission with a Direction under Section 7 of the Tasmanian Planning Commission Act 1997 to produce a new State of the Environment Report by June 2024.
The Government recognises that the Tasmanian Planning Commission has not prepared an updated State of the Environment Report since 2009, twice missing the five-year review period required under the State Policies and Projects Act 1993.
The Government also recognises that the independent review of the Commission concluded that given its other statutory functions and roles and responsibilities, the Commission was not necessarily the appropriate body to prepare updates of the State of the Environment Report.
However, it is important that the State of the Environment Report be produced by an independent body at arms-length from Government, and the pre-eminent independent body is the Commission.