Tasmanian salmon deaths halved in March, indicating mass mortality event is over, EPA says
The Tasmanian salmon industry's mass mortality event is over, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) says, months after dead fish and fatty globules began washing up on beaches in the state's south.
The state's environment watchdog says
The companies reported 3,395 tonnes of fish waste in March, down from 6,300 in February.
The data showed no salmon went into landfill sites in March, with most of the waste going to land spreading and rendering.
In March, the peak body for
Dead salmon floating in the enclosed fish pens near Southport in February.
(
Supplied: Bob Brown Foundation
)
In a statement on Tuesday, EPA chief executive Catherine Murdoch said conditions were improving.
"Water temperatures are falling and there has been a significant decline in the number of pens above the mortality reporting thresholds in April,"
Ms Murdoch said.
Water quality improves, no antibiotics detected
Water quality in the impacted area has also improved, with independent environmental monitoring of water quality conducted by the EPA no longer
Photo shows
a skip bin with salmon carcasses
With Tasmania's salmon companies reeling from unprecedented losses due to disease and warm weather, the industry is told it will face investigation by the Environment Protection Authority.
"Water quality and beach sediments at four beaches in the southern D'Entrecasteaux Channel found all samples to be below the detection limit for the antibiotic oxytetracycline," the statement read.
"As part of this program, the EPA collected water samples in the last two weeks of March at 10 offshore locations and a significant number of wild fish at four locations within the southern D'Entrecasteaux Channel for analysis and none of these samples detected any antibiotic residues."
The EPA had previously reported February's dead fish waste at about 5,500 tonnes, or roughly 6 per cent of the industry's annual production.
The dead fish came from pens in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, in south-eastern Tasmania, owned by Huon Aquaculture and Tassal.
Mandated industry reporting on salmon mortalities began earlier this year, with the EPA saying they intend to publish data quarterly going forward.
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The Advertiser
19-06-2025
- The Advertiser
Where there's smoke, there's sore eyes, nose, throat and lungs
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to It used to be such a comfort. A raging wood fire in the depths of winter warmed the body and soothed the soul. Toes curled in front of it. Eyes mesmerised by the dancing flames. There seemed nothing better to come home to. Not any longer. For me - and I suspect many others - it changed with Black Summer. Now, the smell of fire is an unwelcome winter guest and the smoke curling from chimneys no longer evokes cosiness. It's an alarm signal. Before those fires menaced this neighbourhood, winter was always accompanied by a pall of late afternoon smoke, as wood fires were lit. Almost every backyard featured a neatly stacked woodpile, some so extensive they were known as "Tasmanian fences". These days around here, the once ubiquitous sight of smoke curling from a chimney is rare. And when it is encountered on a chilly evening walk, it's a source of irritation as eyes water and breath shortens, especially if it's from a freshly lit blaze and carries with it the paraffin smell of firestarters. My own firebox has sat idle since Black Summer, as have many others. The air is fresher, the washing comes back into the house without that smoke smell. And there's no longer the need to order expensive firewood, which needs chopping and stacking. Being weaned off wood fires has been liberating. From hands calloused by axe work and splintered from stacking. And from the suspicion that the warmth which felt so good was actually doing you harm. According to health authorities, if you can smell smoke, you're being exposed to the risks it carries. In the short term, there's irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract as well as likely worsening of symptoms associated with heart and lung disease. Longer-term exposure increases the risk of heart and lung disease. According to NSW Health, wood heaters are the largest contributor to particulate emissions of 2.5 micrometres or less in the greater metropolitan region. In colder areas outside the city, the particulate emissions are presumed to be even higher. "It is estimated that out of 603 premature deaths from long-term exposure to all human-made PM2.5 emissions in metropolitan areas, 269 premature deaths each year are attributable to long-term exposure to residential wood-burning heater PM2.5 emissions," it warns on its website. The most vulnerable, as always, are the very young, the elderly and those with existing diseases like asthma. If you can smell the smoke, you're being exposed. And if you can see smoke pouring from a chimney, the fire's not being managed properly - either starved of oxygen or fed with crappy wood that's not properly seasoned - which is what annoys me the most. I picture the people inside, all toasty warm and totally oblivious to what they're pumping into the atmosphere. I'm relatively lucky living in the coastal hinterland where frosts are rare, winter is mercifully short and people's memory of being shrouded in bushfire smoke for months has encouraged them to find alternative sources of heating. For those in colder climes, where the wood heater still reigns, winter brings not just ice but fire as well and the choking smoke that comes with it. HAVE YOUR SAY: Should wood-burning heaters be banned? Do you have neighbours whose chimneys belch smoke all winter? Should people sensitive to wood smoke just grin and bear it? How do you heat your home in winter? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Optus is on the hook for a $100 million fine after it pressured Aboriginal customers in remote regions into buying phone products they did not need or want. The nation's second-biggest mobile operator has admitted to engaging in "unconscionable conduct" after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission launched court action. - Sexually active gay and bisexual men and transgender women will be able to donate blood from July 14 after a landmark change in eligibility rules. - Tax reform is "crucial" to addressing Australia's economic challenges, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said in his strongest signal yet on the thorny issue. THEY SAID IT: "Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans." - Jacques Cousteau YOU SAID IT: Mordechai Vanunu paid a hefty price for blowing the whistle on Israel's nuclear weapons program. Yet we hear little about that as a new war erupts over Iran's nuclear ambitions. "All countries should surrender their nuclear weapons," writes Elaine. "When has war ever achieved anything but the death of so many innocents?" Bernard writes: "Thank you and your editors for having the courage to write and publish this. Given the apparent Israeli practice of killing medical and media personnel, and of the seemingly indiscriminate bombing of civilians, is it now time for the Australian government to request more details regarding the death of Prisoner X (the late Ben Zygier)?" "Meanwhile, Israel lectures Iran on nukes with a straight face," writes Mike. "It's like a chain smoker telling you to quit vaping." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to It used to be such a comfort. A raging wood fire in the depths of winter warmed the body and soothed the soul. Toes curled in front of it. Eyes mesmerised by the dancing flames. There seemed nothing better to come home to. Not any longer. For me - and I suspect many others - it changed with Black Summer. Now, the smell of fire is an unwelcome winter guest and the smoke curling from chimneys no longer evokes cosiness. It's an alarm signal. Before those fires menaced this neighbourhood, winter was always accompanied by a pall of late afternoon smoke, as wood fires were lit. Almost every backyard featured a neatly stacked woodpile, some so extensive they were known as "Tasmanian fences". These days around here, the once ubiquitous sight of smoke curling from a chimney is rare. And when it is encountered on a chilly evening walk, it's a source of irritation as eyes water and breath shortens, especially if it's from a freshly lit blaze and carries with it the paraffin smell of firestarters. My own firebox has sat idle since Black Summer, as have many others. The air is fresher, the washing comes back into the house without that smoke smell. And there's no longer the need to order expensive firewood, which needs chopping and stacking. Being weaned off wood fires has been liberating. From hands calloused by axe work and splintered from stacking. And from the suspicion that the warmth which felt so good was actually doing you harm. According to health authorities, if you can smell smoke, you're being exposed to the risks it carries. In the short term, there's irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract as well as likely worsening of symptoms associated with heart and lung disease. Longer-term exposure increases the risk of heart and lung disease. According to NSW Health, wood heaters are the largest contributor to particulate emissions of 2.5 micrometres or less in the greater metropolitan region. In colder areas outside the city, the particulate emissions are presumed to be even higher. "It is estimated that out of 603 premature deaths from long-term exposure to all human-made PM2.5 emissions in metropolitan areas, 269 premature deaths each year are attributable to long-term exposure to residential wood-burning heater PM2.5 emissions," it warns on its website. The most vulnerable, as always, are the very young, the elderly and those with existing diseases like asthma. If you can smell the smoke, you're being exposed. And if you can see smoke pouring from a chimney, the fire's not being managed properly - either starved of oxygen or fed with crappy wood that's not properly seasoned - which is what annoys me the most. I picture the people inside, all toasty warm and totally oblivious to what they're pumping into the atmosphere. I'm relatively lucky living in the coastal hinterland where frosts are rare, winter is mercifully short and people's memory of being shrouded in bushfire smoke for months has encouraged them to find alternative sources of heating. For those in colder climes, where the wood heater still reigns, winter brings not just ice but fire as well and the choking smoke that comes with it. HAVE YOUR SAY: Should wood-burning heaters be banned? Do you have neighbours whose chimneys belch smoke all winter? Should people sensitive to wood smoke just grin and bear it? How do you heat your home in winter? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Optus is on the hook for a $100 million fine after it pressured Aboriginal customers in remote regions into buying phone products they did not need or want. The nation's second-biggest mobile operator has admitted to engaging in "unconscionable conduct" after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission launched court action. - Sexually active gay and bisexual men and transgender women will be able to donate blood from July 14 after a landmark change in eligibility rules. - Tax reform is "crucial" to addressing Australia's economic challenges, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said in his strongest signal yet on the thorny issue. THEY SAID IT: "Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans." - Jacques Cousteau YOU SAID IT: Mordechai Vanunu paid a hefty price for blowing the whistle on Israel's nuclear weapons program. Yet we hear little about that as a new war erupts over Iran's nuclear ambitions. "All countries should surrender their nuclear weapons," writes Elaine. "When has war ever achieved anything but the death of so many innocents?" Bernard writes: "Thank you and your editors for having the courage to write and publish this. Given the apparent Israeli practice of killing medical and media personnel, and of the seemingly indiscriminate bombing of civilians, is it now time for the Australian government to request more details regarding the death of Prisoner X (the late Ben Zygier)?" "Meanwhile, Israel lectures Iran on nukes with a straight face," writes Mike. "It's like a chain smoker telling you to quit vaping." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to It used to be such a comfort. A raging wood fire in the depths of winter warmed the body and soothed the soul. Toes curled in front of it. Eyes mesmerised by the dancing flames. There seemed nothing better to come home to. Not any longer. For me - and I suspect many others - it changed with Black Summer. Now, the smell of fire is an unwelcome winter guest and the smoke curling from chimneys no longer evokes cosiness. It's an alarm signal. Before those fires menaced this neighbourhood, winter was always accompanied by a pall of late afternoon smoke, as wood fires were lit. Almost every backyard featured a neatly stacked woodpile, some so extensive they were known as "Tasmanian fences". These days around here, the once ubiquitous sight of smoke curling from a chimney is rare. And when it is encountered on a chilly evening walk, it's a source of irritation as eyes water and breath shortens, especially if it's from a freshly lit blaze and carries with it the paraffin smell of firestarters. My own firebox has sat idle since Black Summer, as have many others. The air is fresher, the washing comes back into the house without that smoke smell. And there's no longer the need to order expensive firewood, which needs chopping and stacking. Being weaned off wood fires has been liberating. From hands calloused by axe work and splintered from stacking. And from the suspicion that the warmth which felt so good was actually doing you harm. According to health authorities, if you can smell smoke, you're being exposed to the risks it carries. In the short term, there's irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract as well as likely worsening of symptoms associated with heart and lung disease. Longer-term exposure increases the risk of heart and lung disease. According to NSW Health, wood heaters are the largest contributor to particulate emissions of 2.5 micrometres or less in the greater metropolitan region. In colder areas outside the city, the particulate emissions are presumed to be even higher. "It is estimated that out of 603 premature deaths from long-term exposure to all human-made PM2.5 emissions in metropolitan areas, 269 premature deaths each year are attributable to long-term exposure to residential wood-burning heater PM2.5 emissions," it warns on its website. The most vulnerable, as always, are the very young, the elderly and those with existing diseases like asthma. If you can smell the smoke, you're being exposed. And if you can see smoke pouring from a chimney, the fire's not being managed properly - either starved of oxygen or fed with crappy wood that's not properly seasoned - which is what annoys me the most. I picture the people inside, all toasty warm and totally oblivious to what they're pumping into the atmosphere. I'm relatively lucky living in the coastal hinterland where frosts are rare, winter is mercifully short and people's memory of being shrouded in bushfire smoke for months has encouraged them to find alternative sources of heating. For those in colder climes, where the wood heater still reigns, winter brings not just ice but fire as well and the choking smoke that comes with it. HAVE YOUR SAY: Should wood-burning heaters be banned? Do you have neighbours whose chimneys belch smoke all winter? Should people sensitive to wood smoke just grin and bear it? How do you heat your home in winter? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Optus is on the hook for a $100 million fine after it pressured Aboriginal customers in remote regions into buying phone products they did not need or want. The nation's second-biggest mobile operator has admitted to engaging in "unconscionable conduct" after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission launched court action. - Sexually active gay and bisexual men and transgender women will be able to donate blood from July 14 after a landmark change in eligibility rules. - Tax reform is "crucial" to addressing Australia's economic challenges, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said in his strongest signal yet on the thorny issue. THEY SAID IT: "Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans." - Jacques Cousteau YOU SAID IT: Mordechai Vanunu paid a hefty price for blowing the whistle on Israel's nuclear weapons program. Yet we hear little about that as a new war erupts over Iran's nuclear ambitions. "All countries should surrender their nuclear weapons," writes Elaine. "When has war ever achieved anything but the death of so many innocents?" Bernard writes: "Thank you and your editors for having the courage to write and publish this. Given the apparent Israeli practice of killing medical and media personnel, and of the seemingly indiscriminate bombing of civilians, is it now time for the Australian government to request more details regarding the death of Prisoner X (the late Ben Zygier)?" "Meanwhile, Israel lectures Iran on nukes with a straight face," writes Mike. "It's like a chain smoker telling you to quit vaping." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to It used to be such a comfort. A raging wood fire in the depths of winter warmed the body and soothed the soul. Toes curled in front of it. Eyes mesmerised by the dancing flames. There seemed nothing better to come home to. Not any longer. For me - and I suspect many others - it changed with Black Summer. Now, the smell of fire is an unwelcome winter guest and the smoke curling from chimneys no longer evokes cosiness. It's an alarm signal. Before those fires menaced this neighbourhood, winter was always accompanied by a pall of late afternoon smoke, as wood fires were lit. Almost every backyard featured a neatly stacked woodpile, some so extensive they were known as "Tasmanian fences". These days around here, the once ubiquitous sight of smoke curling from a chimney is rare. And when it is encountered on a chilly evening walk, it's a source of irritation as eyes water and breath shortens, especially if it's from a freshly lit blaze and carries with it the paraffin smell of firestarters. My own firebox has sat idle since Black Summer, as have many others. The air is fresher, the washing comes back into the house without that smoke smell. And there's no longer the need to order expensive firewood, which needs chopping and stacking. Being weaned off wood fires has been liberating. From hands calloused by axe work and splintered from stacking. And from the suspicion that the warmth which felt so good was actually doing you harm. According to health authorities, if you can smell smoke, you're being exposed to the risks it carries. In the short term, there's irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract as well as likely worsening of symptoms associated with heart and lung disease. Longer-term exposure increases the risk of heart and lung disease. According to NSW Health, wood heaters are the largest contributor to particulate emissions of 2.5 micrometres or less in the greater metropolitan region. In colder areas outside the city, the particulate emissions are presumed to be even higher. "It is estimated that out of 603 premature deaths from long-term exposure to all human-made PM2.5 emissions in metropolitan areas, 269 premature deaths each year are attributable to long-term exposure to residential wood-burning heater PM2.5 emissions," it warns on its website. The most vulnerable, as always, are the very young, the elderly and those with existing diseases like asthma. If you can smell the smoke, you're being exposed. And if you can see smoke pouring from a chimney, the fire's not being managed properly - either starved of oxygen or fed with crappy wood that's not properly seasoned - which is what annoys me the most. I picture the people inside, all toasty warm and totally oblivious to what they're pumping into the atmosphere. I'm relatively lucky living in the coastal hinterland where frosts are rare, winter is mercifully short and people's memory of being shrouded in bushfire smoke for months has encouraged them to find alternative sources of heating. For those in colder climes, where the wood heater still reigns, winter brings not just ice but fire as well and the choking smoke that comes with it. HAVE YOUR SAY: Should wood-burning heaters be banned? Do you have neighbours whose chimneys belch smoke all winter? Should people sensitive to wood smoke just grin and bear it? How do you heat your home in winter? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Optus is on the hook for a $100 million fine after it pressured Aboriginal customers in remote regions into buying phone products they did not need or want. The nation's second-biggest mobile operator has admitted to engaging in "unconscionable conduct" after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission launched court action. - Sexually active gay and bisexual men and transgender women will be able to donate blood from July 14 after a landmark change in eligibility rules. - Tax reform is "crucial" to addressing Australia's economic challenges, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said in his strongest signal yet on the thorny issue. THEY SAID IT: "Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans." - Jacques Cousteau YOU SAID IT: Mordechai Vanunu paid a hefty price for blowing the whistle on Israel's nuclear weapons program. Yet we hear little about that as a new war erupts over Iran's nuclear ambitions. "All countries should surrender their nuclear weapons," writes Elaine. "When has war ever achieved anything but the death of so many innocents?" Bernard writes: "Thank you and your editors for having the courage to write and publish this. Given the apparent Israeli practice of killing medical and media personnel, and of the seemingly indiscriminate bombing of civilians, is it now time for the Australian government to request more details regarding the death of Prisoner X (the late Ben Zygier)?" "Meanwhile, Israel lectures Iran on nukes with a straight face," writes Mike. "It's like a chain smoker telling you to quit vaping."
The Advertiser
14-06-2025
- The Advertiser
Liberals prescribe plan to expand role of chemists
Patients with ear infections, wounds and eczema could seek treatment at pharmacies later at night under a re-election pledge from the Tasmanian Liberals. Pharmacists can already administer contraceptive pills and treat urinary tract infections without prescriptions from doctors, with another 23 conditions to be added to the list under the proposal. Grants of $125,000 would be offered to pharmacies to stay open longer and on weekends, a policy Premier Jeremy Rockliff said cost about $1 million, which was already allocated to health in the budget. "It frees up GP appointments for everyone else in Tasmania but most importantly, also takes the pressure off our emergency departments," Mr Rockliff told reporters in Riverside on Saturday. The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and Pharmacy Guild of Australia backed the plan, with vice-president Helen O'Byrne confident enough pharmacists were being trained to staff extended hours. "Patients like to access primary health care at a time and place that's convenient for them," Ms Byrne said. "Tasmanian patients also deserve to have access to the full range of health services available in other jurisdictions." However Australian Medical Association Tasmania president Dr Michael Lumsden-Steel said extending pharmacy prescribing was dangerous and put "patient safety at risk". "Pharmacists are not doctors," he said."They should not be diagnosing conditions which can look superficial but instead be a pointer to something more serious that requires years of study and practice to understand."Added to this, letting someone prescribe and profit from the same medicine is a clear conflict of interest." While the government kicked off the first weekend of the campaign focused on health, the opposition sought to tap into frustrations over delays plaguing major projects. Senior Tasmanian bureaucrats would be sacked and stripped of bonuses if major infrastructure projects were not delivered on time and on budget under a Labor government. "We need to make sure these people understand exactly what their job is and that's to deliver for Tasmanians," Opposition Leader Dean Winter said in Devonport. Labor pledged to "boost up" Infrastructure Tasmania and reallocate about $1 million to create a team dedicated to overseeing projects worth more than $100 million. That would include Spirit of Tasmania upgrades, as the price of a yet-to-be-built Devonport facility blows out from $90 million to $495 million. "If we can get these projects right from the start, then we don't see these huge stuff-ups that cost Tasmanians hundreds of millions of dollars and cost our economy even more," Mr Winter said. The July 19 election was called in the days after Mr Rockliff refused to resign following a no-confidence motion in parliament. That was passed in part due to former Jacqui Lambie Network MP Andrew Jenner, who revealed on Saturday he has switched to the Nationals. "Seventy to 80 per cent of my area, which is the division of Lyons, is rural and regional and I don't think there's a party positioned to represent it better than the Nationals," Mr Jenner said at a press conference alongside Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie. With the premier twice governing in minority, the Labor and Liberal parties are pushing for an outright win. Other parties have made no secret of crossbench ambitions, with the Greens vowing not to cut the public service if they win the balance of power. "It's not just the people that we see publicly out in front that are essential - it is everybody behind the scenes that is doing the admin, doing the paperwork and ensuring the public service functions properly," Greens MP Tabatha Badger said. Patients with ear infections, wounds and eczema could seek treatment at pharmacies later at night under a re-election pledge from the Tasmanian Liberals. Pharmacists can already administer contraceptive pills and treat urinary tract infections without prescriptions from doctors, with another 23 conditions to be added to the list under the proposal. Grants of $125,000 would be offered to pharmacies to stay open longer and on weekends, a policy Premier Jeremy Rockliff said cost about $1 million, which was already allocated to health in the budget. "It frees up GP appointments for everyone else in Tasmania but most importantly, also takes the pressure off our emergency departments," Mr Rockliff told reporters in Riverside on Saturday. The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and Pharmacy Guild of Australia backed the plan, with vice-president Helen O'Byrne confident enough pharmacists were being trained to staff extended hours. "Patients like to access primary health care at a time and place that's convenient for them," Ms Byrne said. "Tasmanian patients also deserve to have access to the full range of health services available in other jurisdictions." However Australian Medical Association Tasmania president Dr Michael Lumsden-Steel said extending pharmacy prescribing was dangerous and put "patient safety at risk". "Pharmacists are not doctors," he said."They should not be diagnosing conditions which can look superficial but instead be a pointer to something more serious that requires years of study and practice to understand."Added to this, letting someone prescribe and profit from the same medicine is a clear conflict of interest." While the government kicked off the first weekend of the campaign focused on health, the opposition sought to tap into frustrations over delays plaguing major projects. Senior Tasmanian bureaucrats would be sacked and stripped of bonuses if major infrastructure projects were not delivered on time and on budget under a Labor government. "We need to make sure these people understand exactly what their job is and that's to deliver for Tasmanians," Opposition Leader Dean Winter said in Devonport. Labor pledged to "boost up" Infrastructure Tasmania and reallocate about $1 million to create a team dedicated to overseeing projects worth more than $100 million. That would include Spirit of Tasmania upgrades, as the price of a yet-to-be-built Devonport facility blows out from $90 million to $495 million. "If we can get these projects right from the start, then we don't see these huge stuff-ups that cost Tasmanians hundreds of millions of dollars and cost our economy even more," Mr Winter said. The July 19 election was called in the days after Mr Rockliff refused to resign following a no-confidence motion in parliament. That was passed in part due to former Jacqui Lambie Network MP Andrew Jenner, who revealed on Saturday he has switched to the Nationals. "Seventy to 80 per cent of my area, which is the division of Lyons, is rural and regional and I don't think there's a party positioned to represent it better than the Nationals," Mr Jenner said at a press conference alongside Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie. With the premier twice governing in minority, the Labor and Liberal parties are pushing for an outright win. Other parties have made no secret of crossbench ambitions, with the Greens vowing not to cut the public service if they win the balance of power. "It's not just the people that we see publicly out in front that are essential - it is everybody behind the scenes that is doing the admin, doing the paperwork and ensuring the public service functions properly," Greens MP Tabatha Badger said. Patients with ear infections, wounds and eczema could seek treatment at pharmacies later at night under a re-election pledge from the Tasmanian Liberals. Pharmacists can already administer contraceptive pills and treat urinary tract infections without prescriptions from doctors, with another 23 conditions to be added to the list under the proposal. Grants of $125,000 would be offered to pharmacies to stay open longer and on weekends, a policy Premier Jeremy Rockliff said cost about $1 million, which was already allocated to health in the budget. "It frees up GP appointments for everyone else in Tasmania but most importantly, also takes the pressure off our emergency departments," Mr Rockliff told reporters in Riverside on Saturday. The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and Pharmacy Guild of Australia backed the plan, with vice-president Helen O'Byrne confident enough pharmacists were being trained to staff extended hours. "Patients like to access primary health care at a time and place that's convenient for them," Ms Byrne said. "Tasmanian patients also deserve to have access to the full range of health services available in other jurisdictions." However Australian Medical Association Tasmania president Dr Michael Lumsden-Steel said extending pharmacy prescribing was dangerous and put "patient safety at risk". "Pharmacists are not doctors," he said."They should not be diagnosing conditions which can look superficial but instead be a pointer to something more serious that requires years of study and practice to understand."Added to this, letting someone prescribe and profit from the same medicine is a clear conflict of interest." While the government kicked off the first weekend of the campaign focused on health, the opposition sought to tap into frustrations over delays plaguing major projects. Senior Tasmanian bureaucrats would be sacked and stripped of bonuses if major infrastructure projects were not delivered on time and on budget under a Labor government. "We need to make sure these people understand exactly what their job is and that's to deliver for Tasmanians," Opposition Leader Dean Winter said in Devonport. Labor pledged to "boost up" Infrastructure Tasmania and reallocate about $1 million to create a team dedicated to overseeing projects worth more than $100 million. That would include Spirit of Tasmania upgrades, as the price of a yet-to-be-built Devonport facility blows out from $90 million to $495 million. "If we can get these projects right from the start, then we don't see these huge stuff-ups that cost Tasmanians hundreds of millions of dollars and cost our economy even more," Mr Winter said. The July 19 election was called in the days after Mr Rockliff refused to resign following a no-confidence motion in parliament. That was passed in part due to former Jacqui Lambie Network MP Andrew Jenner, who revealed on Saturday he has switched to the Nationals. "Seventy to 80 per cent of my area, which is the division of Lyons, is rural and regional and I don't think there's a party positioned to represent it better than the Nationals," Mr Jenner said at a press conference alongside Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie. With the premier twice governing in minority, the Labor and Liberal parties are pushing for an outright win. Other parties have made no secret of crossbench ambitions, with the Greens vowing not to cut the public service if they win the balance of power. "It's not just the people that we see publicly out in front that are essential - it is everybody behind the scenes that is doing the admin, doing the paperwork and ensuring the public service functions properly," Greens MP Tabatha Badger said. Patients with ear infections, wounds and eczema could seek treatment at pharmacies later at night under a re-election pledge from the Tasmanian Liberals. Pharmacists can already administer contraceptive pills and treat urinary tract infections without prescriptions from doctors, with another 23 conditions to be added to the list under the proposal. Grants of $125,000 would be offered to pharmacies to stay open longer and on weekends, a policy Premier Jeremy Rockliff said cost about $1 million, which was already allocated to health in the budget. "It frees up GP appointments for everyone else in Tasmania but most importantly, also takes the pressure off our emergency departments," Mr Rockliff told reporters in Riverside on Saturday. The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and Pharmacy Guild of Australia backed the plan, with vice-president Helen O'Byrne confident enough pharmacists were being trained to staff extended hours. "Patients like to access primary health care at a time and place that's convenient for them," Ms Byrne said. "Tasmanian patients also deserve to have access to the full range of health services available in other jurisdictions." However Australian Medical Association Tasmania president Dr Michael Lumsden-Steel said extending pharmacy prescribing was dangerous and put "patient safety at risk". "Pharmacists are not doctors," he said."They should not be diagnosing conditions which can look superficial but instead be a pointer to something more serious that requires years of study and practice to understand."Added to this, letting someone prescribe and profit from the same medicine is a clear conflict of interest." While the government kicked off the first weekend of the campaign focused on health, the opposition sought to tap into frustrations over delays plaguing major projects. Senior Tasmanian bureaucrats would be sacked and stripped of bonuses if major infrastructure projects were not delivered on time and on budget under a Labor government. "We need to make sure these people understand exactly what their job is and that's to deliver for Tasmanians," Opposition Leader Dean Winter said in Devonport. Labor pledged to "boost up" Infrastructure Tasmania and reallocate about $1 million to create a team dedicated to overseeing projects worth more than $100 million. That would include Spirit of Tasmania upgrades, as the price of a yet-to-be-built Devonport facility blows out from $90 million to $495 million. "If we can get these projects right from the start, then we don't see these huge stuff-ups that cost Tasmanians hundreds of millions of dollars and cost our economy even more," Mr Winter said. The July 19 election was called in the days after Mr Rockliff refused to resign following a no-confidence motion in parliament. That was passed in part due to former Jacqui Lambie Network MP Andrew Jenner, who revealed on Saturday he has switched to the Nationals. "Seventy to 80 per cent of my area, which is the division of Lyons, is rural and regional and I don't think there's a party positioned to represent it better than the Nationals," Mr Jenner said at a press conference alongside Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie. With the premier twice governing in minority, the Labor and Liberal parties are pushing for an outright win. Other parties have made no secret of crossbench ambitions, with the Greens vowing not to cut the public service if they win the balance of power. "It's not just the people that we see publicly out in front that are essential - it is everybody behind the scenes that is doing the admin, doing the paperwork and ensuring the public service functions properly," Greens MP Tabatha Badger said.
The Advertiser
10-06-2025
- The Advertiser
Independents unite to demand home support for 20,000 after aged care delay
In their first flex of group political muscle since the federal election, Australia's independent MPs have teamed up to call on the government to fund - within weeks - at least 20,000 extra aged care home support packages. The government announced in early June it was delaying by five months big changes to aged care, which had been due to start mid-year, to give service providers more time to prepare. But 10 crossbenchers have teamed up to express concern about the impact of the postponement on the nearly 83,000 elderly Australians on the waiting list for home care. "Research shows that the longer people go without appropriate home care supports, the higher their risk of injury or hospitalisation," the MPs said in a June 10 letter to Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae. "This delay will also imperil your government's commitment that by 2027 no one will wait more than 90 days for a package. "On behalf of people in our communities, we are calling on the Albanese government to, at a minimum, fund 20,000 new packages to commence on 1 July 2025 under the current home care packages scheme, which can then be rolled over onto the new support at home program when it eventually commences," the letter reads. The call for bridging support to cover the delay is supported by both Council on the Ageing (COTA) and the Older Persons Advocacy Network. "I regularly have families contacting me about the excessively long wait times for home care packages," ACT independent senator David Pocock said. "We can't afford to delay this further." Dr Helen Haines, the member for Indi in north-east Victoria, said waiting times were lengthened by a lack of qualified people to provide care in regional areas. "We also can't delay the rollout of a pricing framework that fairly reflects the travel costs to deliver care in rural areas," she said. Any setback for older people who wanted to stay at home was "unacceptable", Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said. "Both sides of politics have dropped the ball on this issue over the last ten years," she said. "What the minister calls 'a brief deferral' will directly impact the lives of older Australians." Sydney-based Allegra Spender said she had heard "heartbreaking" stories of elderly people forced into nursing homes due to the long wait for assistance at home, while Dr Monique Ryan in Melbourne said "older Australians shouldn't suffer because of the aged care system's failures". Andrew Gee, the newly re-elected independent MP for Calare in NSW, also put his name to the letter in a sign the former National - who quit the party over its opposition to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament - will work with the so-called teals in this parliament. The other signatories were Sydney's Dr Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie from Tasmania, and Kate Chaney from Western Australia. Given Labor's thumping majority win at the May election, the independents will have less sway in this parliament, but the letter is the first indication they will nonetheless use their numbers to lobby together. Home care packages are a form of commonwealth assistance designed to help people aged 65 and over to stay at home longer by providing assistance with household tasks, personal care and some medical care, such as that provided by nurses. The government has pledged to switch to a $5.6 billion "support at home" system, promising to be "the greatest improvement to aged care in 30 years" designed to slash waiting lists. The health minister's office has been contacted for comment. In their first flex of group political muscle since the federal election, Australia's independent MPs have teamed up to call on the government to fund - within weeks - at least 20,000 extra aged care home support packages. The government announced in early June it was delaying by five months big changes to aged care, which had been due to start mid-year, to give service providers more time to prepare. But 10 crossbenchers have teamed up to express concern about the impact of the postponement on the nearly 83,000 elderly Australians on the waiting list for home care. "Research shows that the longer people go without appropriate home care supports, the higher their risk of injury or hospitalisation," the MPs said in a June 10 letter to Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae. "This delay will also imperil your government's commitment that by 2027 no one will wait more than 90 days for a package. "On behalf of people in our communities, we are calling on the Albanese government to, at a minimum, fund 20,000 new packages to commence on 1 July 2025 under the current home care packages scheme, which can then be rolled over onto the new support at home program when it eventually commences," the letter reads. The call for bridging support to cover the delay is supported by both Council on the Ageing (COTA) and the Older Persons Advocacy Network. "I regularly have families contacting me about the excessively long wait times for home care packages," ACT independent senator David Pocock said. "We can't afford to delay this further." Dr Helen Haines, the member for Indi in north-east Victoria, said waiting times were lengthened by a lack of qualified people to provide care in regional areas. "We also can't delay the rollout of a pricing framework that fairly reflects the travel costs to deliver care in rural areas," she said. Any setback for older people who wanted to stay at home was "unacceptable", Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said. "Both sides of politics have dropped the ball on this issue over the last ten years," she said. "What the minister calls 'a brief deferral' will directly impact the lives of older Australians." Sydney-based Allegra Spender said she had heard "heartbreaking" stories of elderly people forced into nursing homes due to the long wait for assistance at home, while Dr Monique Ryan in Melbourne said "older Australians shouldn't suffer because of the aged care system's failures". Andrew Gee, the newly re-elected independent MP for Calare in NSW, also put his name to the letter in a sign the former National - who quit the party over its opposition to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament - will work with the so-called teals in this parliament. The other signatories were Sydney's Dr Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie from Tasmania, and Kate Chaney from Western Australia. Given Labor's thumping majority win at the May election, the independents will have less sway in this parliament, but the letter is the first indication they will nonetheless use their numbers to lobby together. Home care packages are a form of commonwealth assistance designed to help people aged 65 and over to stay at home longer by providing assistance with household tasks, personal care and some medical care, such as that provided by nurses. The government has pledged to switch to a $5.6 billion "support at home" system, promising to be "the greatest improvement to aged care in 30 years" designed to slash waiting lists. The health minister's office has been contacted for comment. In their first flex of group political muscle since the federal election, Australia's independent MPs have teamed up to call on the government to fund - within weeks - at least 20,000 extra aged care home support packages. The government announced in early June it was delaying by five months big changes to aged care, which had been due to start mid-year, to give service providers more time to prepare. But 10 crossbenchers have teamed up to express concern about the impact of the postponement on the nearly 83,000 elderly Australians on the waiting list for home care. "Research shows that the longer people go without appropriate home care supports, the higher their risk of injury or hospitalisation," the MPs said in a June 10 letter to Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae. "This delay will also imperil your government's commitment that by 2027 no one will wait more than 90 days for a package. "On behalf of people in our communities, we are calling on the Albanese government to, at a minimum, fund 20,000 new packages to commence on 1 July 2025 under the current home care packages scheme, which can then be rolled over onto the new support at home program when it eventually commences," the letter reads. The call for bridging support to cover the delay is supported by both Council on the Ageing (COTA) and the Older Persons Advocacy Network. "I regularly have families contacting me about the excessively long wait times for home care packages," ACT independent senator David Pocock said. "We can't afford to delay this further." Dr Helen Haines, the member for Indi in north-east Victoria, said waiting times were lengthened by a lack of qualified people to provide care in regional areas. "We also can't delay the rollout of a pricing framework that fairly reflects the travel costs to deliver care in rural areas," she said. Any setback for older people who wanted to stay at home was "unacceptable", Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said. "Both sides of politics have dropped the ball on this issue over the last ten years," she said. "What the minister calls 'a brief deferral' will directly impact the lives of older Australians." Sydney-based Allegra Spender said she had heard "heartbreaking" stories of elderly people forced into nursing homes due to the long wait for assistance at home, while Dr Monique Ryan in Melbourne said "older Australians shouldn't suffer because of the aged care system's failures". Andrew Gee, the newly re-elected independent MP for Calare in NSW, also put his name to the letter in a sign the former National - who quit the party over its opposition to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament - will work with the so-called teals in this parliament. The other signatories were Sydney's Dr Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie from Tasmania, and Kate Chaney from Western Australia. Given Labor's thumping majority win at the May election, the independents will have less sway in this parliament, but the letter is the first indication they will nonetheless use their numbers to lobby together. Home care packages are a form of commonwealth assistance designed to help people aged 65 and over to stay at home longer by providing assistance with household tasks, personal care and some medical care, such as that provided by nurses. The government has pledged to switch to a $5.6 billion "support at home" system, promising to be "the greatest improvement to aged care in 30 years" designed to slash waiting lists. The health minister's office has been contacted for comment. In their first flex of group political muscle since the federal election, Australia's independent MPs have teamed up to call on the government to fund - within weeks - at least 20,000 extra aged care home support packages. The government announced in early June it was delaying by five months big changes to aged care, which had been due to start mid-year, to give service providers more time to prepare. But 10 crossbenchers have teamed up to express concern about the impact of the postponement on the nearly 83,000 elderly Australians on the waiting list for home care. "Research shows that the longer people go without appropriate home care supports, the higher their risk of injury or hospitalisation," the MPs said in a June 10 letter to Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae. "This delay will also imperil your government's commitment that by 2027 no one will wait more than 90 days for a package. "On behalf of people in our communities, we are calling on the Albanese government to, at a minimum, fund 20,000 new packages to commence on 1 July 2025 under the current home care packages scheme, which can then be rolled over onto the new support at home program when it eventually commences," the letter reads. The call for bridging support to cover the delay is supported by both Council on the Ageing (COTA) and the Older Persons Advocacy Network. "I regularly have families contacting me about the excessively long wait times for home care packages," ACT independent senator David Pocock said. "We can't afford to delay this further." Dr Helen Haines, the member for Indi in north-east Victoria, said waiting times were lengthened by a lack of qualified people to provide care in regional areas. "We also can't delay the rollout of a pricing framework that fairly reflects the travel costs to deliver care in rural areas," she said. Any setback for older people who wanted to stay at home was "unacceptable", Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said. "Both sides of politics have dropped the ball on this issue over the last ten years," she said. "What the minister calls 'a brief deferral' will directly impact the lives of older Australians." Sydney-based Allegra Spender said she had heard "heartbreaking" stories of elderly people forced into nursing homes due to the long wait for assistance at home, while Dr Monique Ryan in Melbourne said "older Australians shouldn't suffer because of the aged care system's failures". Andrew Gee, the newly re-elected independent MP for Calare in NSW, also put his name to the letter in a sign the former National - who quit the party over its opposition to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament - will work with the so-called teals in this parliament. The other signatories were Sydney's Dr Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie from Tasmania, and Kate Chaney from Western Australia. Given Labor's thumping majority win at the May election, the independents will have less sway in this parliament, but the letter is the first indication they will nonetheless use their numbers to lobby together. Home care packages are a form of commonwealth assistance designed to help people aged 65 and over to stay at home longer by providing assistance with household tasks, personal care and some medical care, such as that provided by nurses. The government has pledged to switch to a $5.6 billion "support at home" system, promising to be "the greatest improvement to aged care in 30 years" designed to slash waiting lists. The health minister's office has been contacted for comment.
