IN THE MEDIA
North Coast should be part of Shark Summit Trials
Greens Spokesperson on Marine Environment and Fisheries and Member for Ballina Tamara Smith has called on the Government to hold some of the trials into non-lethal shark deterrent technologies in Ballina. A range of non-lethal technologies will be discussed at an International Shark Summit in Sydney on Tuesday this week....
Member for Ballina calls on the Premier to act to save the Ballina Marine Tower
NSW Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith has asked NSW Premier Mike Baird to deliver the shortfall in funding needed to start construction on a new Marine Rescue Tower. “I had a very encouraging conversation with Premier Baird late yesterday. He is extremely sympathetic to the great work of our...
Restore NSW Marine Sanctuaries: Greens
Greens Marine Environment and Fisheries Spokesperson and Member for Ballina Tamara Smith has called on the Baird Government to show leadership and abandon plans to revoke marine sanctuary protections across 10 sites in NSW to allow shore-based fishing. The Baird Government yesterday launched a community consultation into plans to permanently...
Ballina MP to sit on Parliamentary Shark Inquiry
Greens Spokesperson on Marine Environment and Fisheries and Member for Ballina Tamara Smith will be a member of a Parliamentary Inquiry into the Management of Sharks in NSW Waters. The Parliament’s multi-party Committee on Investment, Industry and Regional Development, of which Tamara is a member, has initiated the Inquiry. Ms...
Resources for shark surveillance and research welcome
Greens Spokesperson on Marine Environment and Fisheries and Member for Ballina Tamara Smith has welcomed a commitment of $250,000 in funding for surveillance, research and public education to help the Ballina community respond to recent shark activity on the North Coast. Ms Smith said, “The community has been calling for...
Bill to make the Northern Rivers gas field free to go to a vote in Parliament next week
Legislation that would prohibit coal seam gas activities in the Northern Rivers will be voted on when the NSW Legislative Council returns next week and the Greens are supporting Lock the Gate’s call for members of the public to get on the phones and email and demand their representatives vote...
Ballina jobs summit sets task list for local MP
Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith has thanked the local community for coming together to look at long-term solutions to grow sustainable jobs across the region. Reporting back from the Jobs Summit held last week, Ms Smith said, “The Summit was a great success and the overwhelming feedback was that...
Greens say shark nets an outdated non-solution to shark safety
Greens Member for Ballina and spokesperson on Marine and Fisheries, Tamara Smith has called on the NSW Premier Mike Baird to rule out expanding the state's Shark Netting Program after Government MP and Nationals member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis flagged it as an option following recent attacks near Ballina and...
AGL’s decision shows that CSG is unviable
Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith has pointed to AGL's decision to divest coal seam gas assets in Western Sydney and the Hunter Valley as a clear sign the industry is unviable on the North Coast. AGL today announced it would sell a number of coal seam gas licences under...
A change to the law needed to cancel CSG licences
Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith has said the failed CSG-buyback plan demonstrates legislation is needed to cancel coal seam gas licences across the Northern Rivers. Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith said, “We are now at the 30 June deadline on the Government’s licence buyback process and it is...