Energy minister plugs in for power price cap reforms
A convincing Labor win also has Chris Bowen hopeful Australia can triumph in its bid to co-host global climate talks and muscle out competitor Turkey, with a decision expected soon.
In a wide-ranging address to the Australian Energy Week conference in Melbourne, Mr Bowen will promise changes to the so-called Default Market Offer rules to force retailers to compete harder for customer dollars.
"The DMO was intended to act as a benchmark price to stop the worst forms of price gouging, while leaving the job of putting downward pressure on prices to competition between energy companies," he will say on Wednesday.
"However, I'll be frank. I don't think it's working that way and reform is needed."
In several states, regulators enforce caps on what retailers can charge households and businesses to protect the hundreds of thousands of customers unable or uninterested in chasing a better deal.
Caps are reviewed annually to reflect the costs of generation and moving electricity around through poles and wires.
In NSW, South Australia, southeast Queensland, it's the independent Australian Energy Regulator's job, while in Victoria, the Essential Services Commission sets benchmark prices.
Changes to AER's price cap mechanism have not yet been locked in, but could include clamping down on what retailers can claim back from customers on their bills.
Mr Bowen said it was hard to defend price caps when 80 per cent of billpayers could be getting a better deal.
"That's why we have work underway to deliver a better regulated pricing mechanism which will put downward pressure on electricity bills and also ensure the energy market better utilises the huge uptake of rooftop solar and batteries," he will say.
Mr Bowen will declare Labor's thumping election win as a vote of confidence in its energy and decarbonisation policies.
He says it puts Australia in a strong position to secure the rights to co-host the COP31 climate talks alongside Pacific nations.
An announcement is possible at the UN climate meetings underway in Bonn, Germany.
The bid has come under pressure following the federal government's proposed decision to grant an extension on the North West Shelf gas plant's operating life.
The project was singled out by Oil Change International in a report showing the United States, Canada, Norway, and Australia are responsible for nearly 70 per cent of projected new oil and gas from 2025 to 2035.
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West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
Chalmers slams ‘grumps and cynics', insists roundtable aims for genuine ideas not rubber stamping Labor plans
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has hit out at 'grumps and cynics' of this week's economic roundtable and insisted the motive is not to rubber stamp Labor-choreographed policies. It comes as Anthony Albanese told reporters in Perth he was upbeat about the 'full suite of issues' on the agenda, flagging 'jobs of the future' and 'responsible fiscal policy' as priorities. The duo used Sunday media appearances to lambast Opposition skepticism that the roundtable was a 'stitch up' orchestrated to endorse predetermined outcomes, insisting the Government was open to any ideas put forward. 'There will always be the usual kind of grumps and cynics who say the usual grumpy and cynical things about this,' Dr Chalmers said. The PM added he would 'make no apologies' for 'opening up to ideas'. 'What we're doing is inviting people to come in, from business, from unions, from civil society, to put forward their ideas about how we deal with the economic challenges of boosting productivity,' Mr Albanese said. The Coalition intensified their concerns about the event after the ABC on Thursday published details of a leaked Treasury document which included recommended outcomes from the event. The leaked pre-written list included advice to pause changes to the National Construction Code, a National AI plan, and clearing a backlog of home approvals under dated environmental laws. It made no mention of big tax reform. But the Treasurer stressed the Government had not pre-empted any outcome and insisted the briefing was prepared based on ideas already put forward. 'We're not pre-empting or predetermining the outcomes of the discussions that we're having in the coming week, but we are preparing for them,' Dr Chalmers said at a press conference in Queensland on Sunday. 'I think it is entirely unsurprising that when people put literally hundreds of ideas to us, that the Treasury does the work on that. 'We'll see if there's consensus and momentum around some of those ideas. 'Not pre-empting the discussion in the coming week but certainly preparing for it.' The Treasurer also flagged that his government had slashed hundreds of ''nuisance tariffs' on imports. 'There are good reasons to swim against the tide a bit when it comes to tariffs, some of these nuisance tariffs in our economy, risk doing more harm than good,' he told Sky News on Sunday. 'We're very proud of that progress that we've been able to make unilaterally, because tariffs push up compliance costs on business.' Shadow industry minister Alex Hawke slammed the Government for using minor policy tweaks to mask their lack of ambition on major policy reform. 'This Government doesn't seem to have a big agenda on tax and the economy,' Mr Hawke said. 'They say, 'oh, look, we've done these 10 tiny little things here that don't impact a lot of people and they don't raise any money, and that's reform'. 'Well that is just a clean up of some pretty low hanging fruit and that isn't a substitute for actual meaningful things that will get productivity moving.' Shadow industrial relations Minister Tim Wilson warned the Government were not going to find 'courage sitting around a round table'. 'You need to actually put proposals forward, debate them and take the Australians together,' he said. Already, 9000 submissions have been received ahead of the three day event, which kicks off in Canberra on Tuesday. Mr Hawke also slammed the guest list, accusing the Government of sacking it with Labor and union affiliates, saying 'the union movement' was 'aggressively front-running this summit'. Nine of the 24 people invited are either current or former Labor MPs, union officials, or party-aligned professionals. It includes former WA Labor treasurer Ben Wyatt, NSW Labor treasurer Daniel Mookhey, former QLD Labor treasurer Andrew Fraser and four union officials. Dr Chalmers on Sunday said he was unsure of who had first pitched the idea between him and the PM but claimed the two were on the same page about their ambitions for it. It comes after the pair had made contradictory statements in the lead up to their level of ambitions for the boardroom blitz, which was first labelled a productivity roundtable by the PM before being altered by Dr Chalmers to an 'economic reform roundtable'. 'It came from a couple of discussions after the election. I'm not sure who first raised it, but we've been on the same page on this throughout,' the Treasurer said.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Answers to ailing productivity to steer economic future
Ideas to energise the nation's productivity will lay the groundwork for Australia's future as the federal government prepares to open the floor. Key economic stakeholders will descend on the nation's capital for the federal government's much-anticipated economic roundtable on Tuesday, as they offer solutions to Australia's languishing productivity. Australia has made economic progress, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said, but there was more to be done. "Our economy is finally balanced between the progress we've made on inflation and jobs and real wages and the productivity that we will need to sustain that progress into the future as well," he told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday. "(It) is all about building consensus and building momentum around the next steps that we need to take." The proposals will fuel decisions in different ways, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. "There'll be some measures that can be done immediately if the government adopts them; there'll be some that feed into budget processes," he told reporters in Perth. "There'll be some about the long-term challenges on the global economy, the impact on Australia and how we deal with those issues - and that's a good thing." The opposition has remained sceptical of the roundtable. "They're not focused on what they need to do to grow the economic pie and improve economic conditions for every Australian," coalition spokesman for small business Tim Wilson said. While he stressed he did not want to constrain any ideas, Dr Chalmers said any ideas would need to be affordable and consistent with the government's values. Labor has already ruled out major tax reforms such as changes to the GST but is eyeing areas including regulation and construction. The Productivity Commission released its fifth and final report ahead of the roundtable after it was tasked with looking into economic resilience, the clean energy transformation and delivering care efficiently. The draft recommendations handed down are designed to improve living standards for people, including growth in wages and more leisure time. Improving productivity must be guided with a "clear purpose", Centre for Policy Development chief executive Andrew Hudson said. "That should be ensuring ... the benefits of the economy are shared widely, and that they are able to kind of ameliorate inequality, cost of living, housing shortages ... to ensure that productivity gains translate into better lives," he told AAP. To bolster business investment, Australia's headline company tax rate should be reduced to 20 per cent, the commission said. This would attract foreign capital into the country after business investment had "fallen notably" in the past decade, contributing to lacklustre productivity performance. While economists are angling for tax reform, they warn changes must come as part of a broader package to prevent a greater burden on working people. To achieve the nation's climate target at the least cost, the commission found the federal government should prioritise expanding the safeguard mechanism, designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the country's biggest polluters, to include more industrial facilities. Boosting resilience to climate-fuelled disasters would help lower the damage bill and lead to a healthier population, the commission says. The care economy, which includes early childhood education and aged care services, accounted for 12 per cent of the workforce in the 2022/2023 financial year, while contributing eight per cent to the nation's gross domestic product. Improving productivity in the sector is seen as challenging because of the human nature of care. But the commission says new technologies offer an opportunity to unleash gains without compromising quality of care, while also reducing costs. AI can reduce the time workers spend on reporting, while robots can perform routine tasks such as vitals monitoring and logistics, the commission says. To provide the nation with the workforce it needs for a growing economy, changes to secondary and post-high school education have been put forward as a means to ensure people have the foundational skills to smooth pathways to upskilling and entering new occupations. Ideas to energise the nation's productivity will lay the groundwork for Australia's future as the federal government prepares to open the floor. Key economic stakeholders will descend on the nation's capital for the federal government's much-anticipated economic roundtable on Tuesday, as they offer solutions to Australia's languishing productivity. Australia has made economic progress, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said, but there was more to be done. "Our economy is finally balanced between the progress we've made on inflation and jobs and real wages and the productivity that we will need to sustain that progress into the future as well," he told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday. "(It) is all about building consensus and building momentum around the next steps that we need to take." The proposals will fuel decisions in different ways, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. "There'll be some measures that can be done immediately if the government adopts them; there'll be some that feed into budget processes," he told reporters in Perth. "There'll be some about the long-term challenges on the global economy, the impact on Australia and how we deal with those issues - and that's a good thing." The opposition has remained sceptical of the roundtable. "They're not focused on what they need to do to grow the economic pie and improve economic conditions for every Australian," coalition spokesman for small business Tim Wilson said. While he stressed he did not want to constrain any ideas, Dr Chalmers said any ideas would need to be affordable and consistent with the government's values. Labor has already ruled out major tax reforms such as changes to the GST but is eyeing areas including regulation and construction. The Productivity Commission released its fifth and final report ahead of the roundtable after it was tasked with looking into economic resilience, the clean energy transformation and delivering care efficiently. The draft recommendations handed down are designed to improve living standards for people, including growth in wages and more leisure time. Improving productivity must be guided with a "clear purpose", Centre for Policy Development chief executive Andrew Hudson said. "That should be ensuring ... the benefits of the economy are shared widely, and that they are able to kind of ameliorate inequality, cost of living, housing shortages ... to ensure that productivity gains translate into better lives," he told AAP. To bolster business investment, Australia's headline company tax rate should be reduced to 20 per cent, the commission said. This would attract foreign capital into the country after business investment had "fallen notably" in the past decade, contributing to lacklustre productivity performance. While economists are angling for tax reform, they warn changes must come as part of a broader package to prevent a greater burden on working people. To achieve the nation's climate target at the least cost, the commission found the federal government should prioritise expanding the safeguard mechanism, designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the country's biggest polluters, to include more industrial facilities. Boosting resilience to climate-fuelled disasters would help lower the damage bill and lead to a healthier population, the commission says. The care economy, which includes early childhood education and aged care services, accounted for 12 per cent of the workforce in the 2022/2023 financial year, while contributing eight per cent to the nation's gross domestic product. Improving productivity in the sector is seen as challenging because of the human nature of care. But the commission says new technologies offer an opportunity to unleash gains without compromising quality of care, while also reducing costs. AI can reduce the time workers spend on reporting, while robots can perform routine tasks such as vitals monitoring and logistics, the commission says. To provide the nation with the workforce it needs for a growing economy, changes to secondary and post-high school education have been put forward as a means to ensure people have the foundational skills to smooth pathways to upskilling and entering new occupations. Ideas to energise the nation's productivity will lay the groundwork for Australia's future as the federal government prepares to open the floor. Key economic stakeholders will descend on the nation's capital for the federal government's much-anticipated economic roundtable on Tuesday, as they offer solutions to Australia's languishing productivity. Australia has made economic progress, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said, but there was more to be done. "Our economy is finally balanced between the progress we've made on inflation and jobs and real wages and the productivity that we will need to sustain that progress into the future as well," he told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday. "(It) is all about building consensus and building momentum around the next steps that we need to take." The proposals will fuel decisions in different ways, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. "There'll be some measures that can be done immediately if the government adopts them; there'll be some that feed into budget processes," he told reporters in Perth. "There'll be some about the long-term challenges on the global economy, the impact on Australia and how we deal with those issues - and that's a good thing." The opposition has remained sceptical of the roundtable. "They're not focused on what they need to do to grow the economic pie and improve economic conditions for every Australian," coalition spokesman for small business Tim Wilson said. While he stressed he did not want to constrain any ideas, Dr Chalmers said any ideas would need to be affordable and consistent with the government's values. Labor has already ruled out major tax reforms such as changes to the GST but is eyeing areas including regulation and construction. The Productivity Commission released its fifth and final report ahead of the roundtable after it was tasked with looking into economic resilience, the clean energy transformation and delivering care efficiently. The draft recommendations handed down are designed to improve living standards for people, including growth in wages and more leisure time. Improving productivity must be guided with a "clear purpose", Centre for Policy Development chief executive Andrew Hudson said. "That should be ensuring ... the benefits of the economy are shared widely, and that they are able to kind of ameliorate inequality, cost of living, housing shortages ... to ensure that productivity gains translate into better lives," he told AAP. To bolster business investment, Australia's headline company tax rate should be reduced to 20 per cent, the commission said. This would attract foreign capital into the country after business investment had "fallen notably" in the past decade, contributing to lacklustre productivity performance. While economists are angling for tax reform, they warn changes must come as part of a broader package to prevent a greater burden on working people. To achieve the nation's climate target at the least cost, the commission found the federal government should prioritise expanding the safeguard mechanism, designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the country's biggest polluters, to include more industrial facilities. Boosting resilience to climate-fuelled disasters would help lower the damage bill and lead to a healthier population, the commission says. The care economy, which includes early childhood education and aged care services, accounted for 12 per cent of the workforce in the 2022/2023 financial year, while contributing eight per cent to the nation's gross domestic product. Improving productivity in the sector is seen as challenging because of the human nature of care. But the commission says new technologies offer an opportunity to unleash gains without compromising quality of care, while also reducing costs. AI can reduce the time workers spend on reporting, while robots can perform routine tasks such as vitals monitoring and logistics, the commission says. To provide the nation with the workforce it needs for a growing economy, changes to secondary and post-high school education have been put forward as a means to ensure people have the foundational skills to smooth pathways to upskilling and entering new occupations. Ideas to energise the nation's productivity will lay the groundwork for Australia's future as the federal government prepares to open the floor. Key economic stakeholders will descend on the nation's capital for the federal government's much-anticipated economic roundtable on Tuesday, as they offer solutions to Australia's languishing productivity. Australia has made economic progress, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said, but there was more to be done. "Our economy is finally balanced between the progress we've made on inflation and jobs and real wages and the productivity that we will need to sustain that progress into the future as well," he told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday. "(It) is all about building consensus and building momentum around the next steps that we need to take." The proposals will fuel decisions in different ways, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. "There'll be some measures that can be done immediately if the government adopts them; there'll be some that feed into budget processes," he told reporters in Perth. "There'll be some about the long-term challenges on the global economy, the impact on Australia and how we deal with those issues - and that's a good thing." The opposition has remained sceptical of the roundtable. "They're not focused on what they need to do to grow the economic pie and improve economic conditions for every Australian," coalition spokesman for small business Tim Wilson said. While he stressed he did not want to constrain any ideas, Dr Chalmers said any ideas would need to be affordable and consistent with the government's values. Labor has already ruled out major tax reforms such as changes to the GST but is eyeing areas including regulation and construction. The Productivity Commission released its fifth and final report ahead of the roundtable after it was tasked with looking into economic resilience, the clean energy transformation and delivering care efficiently. The draft recommendations handed down are designed to improve living standards for people, including growth in wages and more leisure time. Improving productivity must be guided with a "clear purpose", Centre for Policy Development chief executive Andrew Hudson said. "That should be ensuring ... the benefits of the economy are shared widely, and that they are able to kind of ameliorate inequality, cost of living, housing shortages ... to ensure that productivity gains translate into better lives," he told AAP. To bolster business investment, Australia's headline company tax rate should be reduced to 20 per cent, the commission said. This would attract foreign capital into the country after business investment had "fallen notably" in the past decade, contributing to lacklustre productivity performance. While economists are angling for tax reform, they warn changes must come as part of a broader package to prevent a greater burden on working people. To achieve the nation's climate target at the least cost, the commission found the federal government should prioritise expanding the safeguard mechanism, designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the country's biggest polluters, to include more industrial facilities. Boosting resilience to climate-fuelled disasters would help lower the damage bill and lead to a healthier population, the commission says. The care economy, which includes early childhood education and aged care services, accounted for 12 per cent of the workforce in the 2022/2023 financial year, while contributing eight per cent to the nation's gross domestic product. Improving productivity in the sector is seen as challenging because of the human nature of care. But the commission says new technologies offer an opportunity to unleash gains without compromising quality of care, while also reducing costs. AI can reduce the time workers spend on reporting, while robots can perform routine tasks such as vitals monitoring and logistics, the commission says. To provide the nation with the workforce it needs for a growing economy, changes to secondary and post-high school education have been put forward as a means to ensure people have the foundational skills to smooth pathways to upskilling and entering new occupations.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Salmon industry probe ordered amid disease concerns
An independent probe into Tasmania's salmon industry is being launched as the government seeks to appease crossbenchers ahead of a critical week in parliament. The review would ensure the industry maintained its social licence while meeting environmental expectations, Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff said on Sunday. The decision has drawn criticism from industry bodies, which accused the government of breaking commitments to hardworking Tasmanians. The review follows a warning on Friday that another mass fish kill could occur as Piscirickettsia salmonis persisted in salmon stocks throughout winter. More than 6300 tonnes of farmed salmon died during a disease outbreak in the state's south during summer. Mr Rockliff said the mass mortality event had put the industry on notice. "I do not resile from that; we must always seek to strike a balance between sustainable primary industries and our unique natural environments in which they operate," he said in a statement on Sunday. The move comes as crossbenchers, who hold the balance of power in deciding the state's next government, intensify their push for stronger salmon farming regulation. The shape of the next government will be decided when it resumes on Tuesday, following the July 19 election that delivered yet another hung parliament. Both the Liberals (14 seats) and Labor (10) finished short of the 18 seats required for majority government. Mr Rockliff has been recommissioned as premier but will face a no-confidence motion that could turf his government and install Labor leader Dean Winter as premier. Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff on Sunday welcomed the independent review, saying it was time to turn the tide on the industry, but remained cautious about Mr Rockliff's intentions. "There is a lot to question and scrutinise in this announcement," Dr Woodruff said. "We will be working with all of you who care about our marine waterways to hold the Liberals to account on what they have promised." Not all in the industry are happy about the move, including Salmon Tasmania chief executive John Whittington. "The premier has gone back on his word and commitments and shamefully let down every salmon worker, their families, and communities across the state," Dr Whittington said. "Many salmon workers trusted the Liberals with their valuable vote, only to be completely betrayed just six weeks later." He provided AAP with a letter from Mr Rockliff to Dr Whittington dated July 2, just weeks before the election, stating that "there was no stronger supporter of (the) industry than the Tasmanian Liberals". The review is expected to be carried out by an independent "specialist organisation" outside of the state. There will be a pause on marine expansion of the industry while the study is completed. The government also pledged to develop and deliver a Marine Environment Tasmania Act, in consultation with parliament and the community. Environment Tasmania senior marine campaigner Rebecca Howarth welcomed the announcement. "A holistic and whole-of-picture approach which centres around eco-system health has been very much needed, and this takes us with enormous strides in the right direction," Ms Howarth said. An independent probe into Tasmania's salmon industry is being launched as the government seeks to appease crossbenchers ahead of a critical week in parliament. The review would ensure the industry maintained its social licence while meeting environmental expectations, Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff said on Sunday. The decision has drawn criticism from industry bodies, which accused the government of breaking commitments to hardworking Tasmanians. The review follows a warning on Friday that another mass fish kill could occur as Piscirickettsia salmonis persisted in salmon stocks throughout winter. More than 6300 tonnes of farmed salmon died during a disease outbreak in the state's south during summer. Mr Rockliff said the mass mortality event had put the industry on notice. "I do not resile from that; we must always seek to strike a balance between sustainable primary industries and our unique natural environments in which they operate," he said in a statement on Sunday. The move comes as crossbenchers, who hold the balance of power in deciding the state's next government, intensify their push for stronger salmon farming regulation. The shape of the next government will be decided when it resumes on Tuesday, following the July 19 election that delivered yet another hung parliament. Both the Liberals (14 seats) and Labor (10) finished short of the 18 seats required for majority government. Mr Rockliff has been recommissioned as premier but will face a no-confidence motion that could turf his government and install Labor leader Dean Winter as premier. Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff on Sunday welcomed the independent review, saying it was time to turn the tide on the industry, but remained cautious about Mr Rockliff's intentions. "There is a lot to question and scrutinise in this announcement," Dr Woodruff said. "We will be working with all of you who care about our marine waterways to hold the Liberals to account on what they have promised." Not all in the industry are happy about the move, including Salmon Tasmania chief executive John Whittington. "The premier has gone back on his word and commitments and shamefully let down every salmon worker, their families, and communities across the state," Dr Whittington said. "Many salmon workers trusted the Liberals with their valuable vote, only to be completely betrayed just six weeks later." He provided AAP with a letter from Mr Rockliff to Dr Whittington dated July 2, just weeks before the election, stating that "there was no stronger supporter of (the) industry than the Tasmanian Liberals". The review is expected to be carried out by an independent "specialist organisation" outside of the state. There will be a pause on marine expansion of the industry while the study is completed. The government also pledged to develop and deliver a Marine Environment Tasmania Act, in consultation with parliament and the community. Environment Tasmania senior marine campaigner Rebecca Howarth welcomed the announcement. "A holistic and whole-of-picture approach which centres around eco-system health has been very much needed, and this takes us with enormous strides in the right direction," Ms Howarth said. An independent probe into Tasmania's salmon industry is being launched as the government seeks to appease crossbenchers ahead of a critical week in parliament. The review would ensure the industry maintained its social licence while meeting environmental expectations, Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff said on Sunday. The decision has drawn criticism from industry bodies, which accused the government of breaking commitments to hardworking Tasmanians. The review follows a warning on Friday that another mass fish kill could occur as Piscirickettsia salmonis persisted in salmon stocks throughout winter. More than 6300 tonnes of farmed salmon died during a disease outbreak in the state's south during summer. Mr Rockliff said the mass mortality event had put the industry on notice. "I do not resile from that; we must always seek to strike a balance between sustainable primary industries and our unique natural environments in which they operate," he said in a statement on Sunday. The move comes as crossbenchers, who hold the balance of power in deciding the state's next government, intensify their push for stronger salmon farming regulation. The shape of the next government will be decided when it resumes on Tuesday, following the July 19 election that delivered yet another hung parliament. Both the Liberals (14 seats) and Labor (10) finished short of the 18 seats required for majority government. Mr Rockliff has been recommissioned as premier but will face a no-confidence motion that could turf his government and install Labor leader Dean Winter as premier. Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff on Sunday welcomed the independent review, saying it was time to turn the tide on the industry, but remained cautious about Mr Rockliff's intentions. "There is a lot to question and scrutinise in this announcement," Dr Woodruff said. "We will be working with all of you who care about our marine waterways to hold the Liberals to account on what they have promised." Not all in the industry are happy about the move, including Salmon Tasmania chief executive John Whittington. "The premier has gone back on his word and commitments and shamefully let down every salmon worker, their families, and communities across the state," Dr Whittington said. "Many salmon workers trusted the Liberals with their valuable vote, only to be completely betrayed just six weeks later." He provided AAP with a letter from Mr Rockliff to Dr Whittington dated July 2, just weeks before the election, stating that "there was no stronger supporter of (the) industry than the Tasmanian Liberals". The review is expected to be carried out by an independent "specialist organisation" outside of the state. There will be a pause on marine expansion of the industry while the study is completed. The government also pledged to develop and deliver a Marine Environment Tasmania Act, in consultation with parliament and the community. Environment Tasmania senior marine campaigner Rebecca Howarth welcomed the announcement. "A holistic and whole-of-picture approach which centres around eco-system health has been very much needed, and this takes us with enormous strides in the right direction," Ms Howarth said. An independent probe into Tasmania's salmon industry is being launched as the government seeks to appease crossbenchers ahead of a critical week in parliament. The review would ensure the industry maintained its social licence while meeting environmental expectations, Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff said on Sunday. The decision has drawn criticism from industry bodies, which accused the government of breaking commitments to hardworking Tasmanians. The review follows a warning on Friday that another mass fish kill could occur as Piscirickettsia salmonis persisted in salmon stocks throughout winter. More than 6300 tonnes of farmed salmon died during a disease outbreak in the state's south during summer. Mr Rockliff said the mass mortality event had put the industry on notice. "I do not resile from that; we must always seek to strike a balance between sustainable primary industries and our unique natural environments in which they operate," he said in a statement on Sunday. The move comes as crossbenchers, who hold the balance of power in deciding the state's next government, intensify their push for stronger salmon farming regulation. The shape of the next government will be decided when it resumes on Tuesday, following the July 19 election that delivered yet another hung parliament. Both the Liberals (14 seats) and Labor (10) finished short of the 18 seats required for majority government. Mr Rockliff has been recommissioned as premier but will face a no-confidence motion that could turf his government and install Labor leader Dean Winter as premier. Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff on Sunday welcomed the independent review, saying it was time to turn the tide on the industry, but remained cautious about Mr Rockliff's intentions. "There is a lot to question and scrutinise in this announcement," Dr Woodruff said. "We will be working with all of you who care about our marine waterways to hold the Liberals to account on what they have promised." Not all in the industry are happy about the move, including Salmon Tasmania chief executive John Whittington. "The premier has gone back on his word and commitments and shamefully let down every salmon worker, their families, and communities across the state," Dr Whittington said. "Many salmon workers trusted the Liberals with their valuable vote, only to be completely betrayed just six weeks later." He provided AAP with a letter from Mr Rockliff to Dr Whittington dated July 2, just weeks before the election, stating that "there was no stronger supporter of (the) industry than the Tasmanian Liberals". The review is expected to be carried out by an independent "specialist organisation" outside of the state. There will be a pause on marine expansion of the industry while the study is completed. The government also pledged to develop and deliver a Marine Environment Tasmania Act, in consultation with parliament and the community. Environment Tasmania senior marine campaigner Rebecca Howarth welcomed the announcement. "A holistic and whole-of-picture approach which centres around eco-system health has been very much needed, and this takes us with enormous strides in the right direction," Ms Howarth said.
