The secretive Marinus deal signed by the caretaker Rockliff Government, in breach of caretaker conventions, will result in higher power prices and a fast-tracking of the energy industrialisation of northern Tasmania’s wild places.

“Since 2018, experts have been telling us that Marinus was a dud for Tasmania, and not needed by the mainland, but yet again we see this state and federal governments fall over themselves to give a $5 billion gift to overseas-owned and backed wind farm developers,” said Bob Brown Foundation Campaigner Scott Jordan.

“Both Christine Milne and energy expert Bruce Mountain have shown that the project does not stack up economically. We know that Tasmanian households will be left footing the bill. The fact that the Rockliff Government refused to release the business case tells us that they don’t want the public to see just how bad this deal is.”

“Tasmanian households will be paying for the federal government share through their federal taxes, the state contribution through their state taxes, and for the 84% Clean Energy Finance Corporation loan through increases to their power bills, while the overseas energy corporations plunder our environment and get a taxpayer-funded connector to send power to mainland Australia.”

“This deal foreshadows the now imminent approval of the Robbins Island wind farm, and approvals for the criss-crossing of northern Tasmania with new high voltage powerlines. These will destroy hundreds of hectares of forests, increase eagle deaths, and on Robbins Island, push the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot into the history books.”

“The environment pays, the budget pays, Tasmanian families pay, and proper democratic processes pay for this $5 billion dollar freebee to foreign corporations,” said Scott Jordan.