AFTER more than a year, the King Island Council has taken a formal position in opposition to oil and gas exploration and drilling in the waters off King Island.

At its September ordinary meeting, the motion was put and carried that the King Island Council opposes oil and gas drilling off the coast of the island and will write to the relevant state and federal ministers to advise them of the council’s position.

 “King Island Council has made the decision at our September meeting to in-principle oppose gas exploration and  drilling near our island,” Mayor Marcus Blackie said.

“This decision has been made with a view to protecting our pristine environment here on King Island and our brands which have become household names.

“Our reputation as a tourist drawcard and our legendary brands – like our cheese – are all underpinned by our cool climate and pristine environment.

“The King Island coastline and surrounding waterways are extremely volatile, we therefore have concerns about gas exploration and drilling particularly on our Western side where the prevailing winds and strong currents mostly come from, driven by the relentless roaring 40’s.

“Any spills, ruptures, or flotsam from rigs off to our west could be delivered onto our shoreline the same day.

“Bass Strait needs no introduction.

“Before anyone gets too excited this is not a blanket opposition against fossil fuels or gas in general.

“We know we require a diverse range of energy sources to power our economy here on King Island, we are big consumers of gas so we will require gas for another decade to come.

“This is an in-principal opposition to drilling activities close to King Island and the elevated environmental risk that represents,” Mr Blackie said.

The council debate acknowledged that many of the decisions, for example environmental approvals, are made by The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) Australia’s independent expert regulator for health and safety, structural (well) integrity and environmental management for offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage activities in Commonwealth waters, and in coastal waters where regulatory powers and functions have been conferred.

Oil and gas exploration acreage is released each year by the Federal government.

Companies can nominate and bid for these areas, under permit.

The council has historically met with the oil and gas companies to determine what if any economic benefit King Island could anticipate (or negotiate). So far there is only optimism and cordial relationships.

The council agreed that it is empowered to act in the best interests of this community, that the oil and gas companies do not say there is zero risk to the island, and it was argued that it is time to answer the question “What do you [Council] stand for?”

Mr Blackie said the overriding concern is that any oil and gas development off the coast of King Island places the island in a risk position whether this be from flotsam and jetsam or spills from vessels and rigs and this would cause both environmental and economic damage to brand and reputation.

King Island council has opposed  drilling by Conoco Phillips – 3D Oil in their permitted leases to the west and north of King Island.

Multinational companies Schlumberger and TGS wants to conduct a 7.7 million hectares – larger than Tasmania –  3D seismic survey, 39 kilometres off the west coast which is designed to service multiple clients holding existing exploration titles and the collection of data from areas not yet designated by the Australian government for gas exploration, and the Beach Energy Offshore Gas Victoria project.

The Beach Energy Offshore Gas Victoria project organised a community meeting in the Currie town hall earlier this month to enable King Islanders to learn more about the OGV Project “which is considering a range of activity in Commonwealth waters across several phases.”

No one attended this meeting.

“…the project intends to operate in the offshore Otway and Bass basins. These phases include non-seismic seabed assessments, drilling three to eight exploration and appraisal wells, connection of new wells and removing suspended wells,” the company said.

The Otway Basin is west, and north-west of King Island and the Bass Basin includes all of King Island and extends to the north, northeast and east of the island.

The OGV project will require environment plans to be accepted by NOPSEMA before commencement of activities and must also demonstrate that consultations with persons or organisations whose functions, interests and activities may be affected by the activities in the Environment Plan (“relevant persons”), have been carried out in accordance with the regulations.

To find out more about the OGV Project 1800 797 011.community@beachenergy.com.au or visit beachenergy.com.au/ogv/

THE suitability of the TasPorts/Bass Island Line-owned ship John Duigan for the King Island service has been questioned by a major government inquiry.

The inquiry by the Office of the Tasmanian Economic Regulator into the BIL freight pricing has determined costs are acceptable.

However, it said specialist advice should be sought on available alternatives

to the John Duigan based on suitability, level of service and operating costs.

The Regulator found BIL’s pricing was within the range of its  direct competitors and shipping companies serving comparable markets. The report recommended a review of the suitability of the John Duigan to consider whether the asset base should be optimised.

“I will consider these recommendations and intend to discuss them with the board and executive,” Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said.

The Regulator’s report states BIL’s annual operating and trading results over the past five years have cost close to $22m in taxpayer funding.

“The independent expert report also addressed the range of opinions on Bass Island Line, such as ‘operating at a loss, it is setting prices so low as to exclude competition from the market’, to the opposing view that its prices are too high and unfairly take advantage of its market position.

“While this service is still not profitable on an annualised basis, it received stronger demand for its services since the shift to the new service model in early 2022,’’ Mr Ferguson said.

TasPorts CEO Anthony Donald said the review found no evidence of overcharging by BIL.

“Further, it recognised BIL’s pricing behaviour to be consistent with other shippers and that there was nothing in BIL’s pricing outside of what is considered normal practice within the shipping industry,” he said.

King Island Mayor Marcus Blackie said he needed more time to digest the report but remained  hopeful it will provide King Island some leverage.

“More importantly for us, Mr Ferguson also mentioned that he has instructed his department to start drafting the scope for our Grassy port expansion study, to be funded by the State Government.

“So, I will take that as the good news for the week on the shipping front.”

There are elements within the report that have raised eyebrows and questions are already being asked by stakeholders around accuracy.

“Bass Island Line has been operating in a competitive, commercial market for more than five years and provides King Island’s only dedicated weekly sea freight service,’’ the Minister said.

However, this is disputed by competitor Eastern Shipping Line.

“The report also found that notwithstanding stakeholder concerns that Bass Island Line’s participation in the market had the potential to discourage other players from entering the market, a third player has announced its intention to enter the King Island sea freight market,” Mr Ferguson said.

Preliminary questions also have asked why TasPorts port charges, which impact freight pricing and costs, have not been included in the report.

Next week’s Courier will have the island’s stakeholders, shipping companies, and Independent Murchison MLC, Ruth Forrest, who initially proposed the government inquiry into King Island Freight costing and prices, responses to the report.

RSPCA Tasmania has introduced “READY PET, GO” a project aimed at safeguarding human and animal lives during emergencies.

With the predicted warm and dry spring and summer ahead, risks for bush fires and drought are at an all-time high.

The initiative provides an invaluable solution to lack of preparedness during emergencies by offering free, accessible step-by-step guides and materials.

The resources will help to prepare essential documentation, kits, supplies and plans promptly and effectively.

The “READY PET GO!” package comes with a complimentary brochure outlining three critical facets of emergency readiness and evacuation.

A free QR coded vehicle sticker is also provided allowing users to stay informed about ongoing emergencies across the state regardless of location or travel plans.

The “GET READY” section emphasizes the gathering of vital documents, encouraging their regular review and updating every 12 months as well as storing a week’s worth of pet’s medication for potential evacuation.

Under “Get, PET,” the project delves into crafting an actionable plan and gathering immediate supplies for each pet.

RSPCA Tasmania’s guide recognises the ease to which essential items can be forgotten or neglected during emergencies.

The guide addresses transportation containers, leads, comfort items, food and toileting necessities all to ensure pets’ comfort, security and continuity of routine during evacuation process.

The ”GO” section equips individuals with tools to authenticate emergencies and make informed decisions.

A TasALERT QR coded vehicle sticker allows real-time access to the TasALERT website which aids in determining travel safety, identifying threats to planned safe zones and locating nearest evacuation centres.

“The directive is clear: when it’s time to “GO’ hesitation could be life-threatening.”

The free DL Brochure and vehicle sticker can be accessed from rspcatas.org.au

King Island Landcare is on the offensive against invasive species plants on the island. Some invasive species are considered ‘pretty’ and easy to grow and are collected to plant in gardens. Over the coming weeks, Landcare will highlight some of the ‘pretty’ plants that are to be avoided and are targeted for removal.

Cape tulip is smothering the Tip and in Elginshore Drive, Currie, it is spreading out. It is also in Naracoopa, on the airport runway and can be spotted in clumps around the base of trees on properties and roadside verges. It is very attractive, but don’t take it home.

It is a declared weed in Tasmania under the Tasmanian Weed Management Act 1999. The importation, sale and distribution of cape tulips by law are prohibited in Tasmania.

There are two species of cape tulip in Tasmania: one-leaf cape tulip (Moraea flaccida) and two-leaf cape tulip (M. miniata). Their features are similar so for practical purposes they are treated as one weed.

Cape tulips are perennial (long-lived) herbs growing to 70 to 80 cm high. The leaves are long and linear and droop above the flowers; one-leaf cape tulip has a single leaf, while two-leaf cape tulip has two or three leaves.

The flowers are usually orange to salmon pink with a yellow centre, but occasionally plain yellow. Flowering takes place in spring. Plants do not flower until they are two or three years old.

Cape tulips produce underground bulbs, or corms, each year; the corms of one-leaf cape tulips are covered by a brown fibrous sheath, and the corms of two-leaf cape tulips are covered by a hard black sheath. One-leaf cape tulip produces seeds and Two-leaf cape tulip does not, but produces clusters of small corms, or cormils, at the base of the leaves and around the parent corm.

Cape tulips emerge in autumn after rain. Depending on the season, up to 60% of corms can remain dormant in the soil, while cormils can remain dormant for up to eight years.

Dense infestations can have up to 7,000 corms per square metre.

They are serious weeds of pasture and severe infestations can significantly reduce productivity and are also poisonous to stock. The plant remains toxic even when dry, so contaminated hay can also be a problem. Cape tulips can also invade native vegetation and become an environmental weed.

Due to their bright and cheerful flower, they are tempting to pick for a vase or to plant in the garden for colour – but don’t. If you locate cape tulips anywhere on King Island, contact Biosecurity Tasmania on 03 6165 3777 to report this weed or as a landholder or stakeholder, there is a requirement to remove it under Statutory Land Management Plans.

Removal can be done by hand or by chemical controls.  A number of herbicides are registered for use on cape tulip in Tasmania and can be found at nre.tas.gov.au with usage guidelines and information concerning waterways protection.

NRE and King Island Landcare recommend that where cape tulip is evident in pastures or roadsides wash down vehicles after works to avoid further distribution and inspect hay bales for corms, and importantly do not plant in cleared areas or in a garden.

HYDRO Tasmania is working through options with the Health Department to use the vacant Hydro building in Currie by the island’s Volunteer Ambulance and SES

Members of Hydro Tasmania’s executive and senior leadership team, including the the new chair Richard Bolt and CEO Ian Brooksbank, visited King Island recently.

This visit aimed to meet local staff, discuss upcoming work, tour field sites, and meet members of the King Island community.

Mayor Marcus Blackie joined the group for dinner in Currie.

“There are no further advances on the vacant building,” a Hydro Tasmania spokesperson said.

However, following the Hydro Tas visit, CEO Ian Brooksbank advised Mayor Marcus Blackie there are  several factors to work through and he hoped to have a position landed in the near future.

“We understand the need on the island and will be in touch as soon as we have progressed our discussions,” Mr Brooksbank said.

 Hydro Tasmania is currently using the building at Currie for storage while they assess longer-term options.

“At this stage, no decision has been made about the future of the building. If Hydro Tasmania does decide to transfer ownership of the building in the future, we will follow a fair and equitable process,” a Hydro spokesperson said.

Construction of the almost six-hectare solar farm, comprising 5000 panels is part of a long-term plan for King Island to transition away from diesel and to renewables.

The new King Island Solar Farm was officially completed at the start of August.

Hydro confirmed that there has been a delay in the solar farm completion.

“Currently, Hydro Tasmania is waiting for one final component that will connect the solar farm to the electricity grid.

“We expect the solar farm to be fully operational by the end of October.”

Hydro Tasmania’s electricity retailer Momentum increased their Bass Strait Island prices by 9.51 per cent on September 1 in parity with the July 1 Tasmanian mainland price rise approved by the Tasmanian Economic Regulator.

King Island has one all-energy Tariff 51 which increased to 31.7933 c per kWh for 2023 – 24. The island does not have other tariffs which are offered to other Tasmanian householders and businesses. Previously Hydro Tasmania said, “HydroTas under their Customer Service Obligation is chartered to guarantee electricity supply on the island …Our Community Service Obligation helps shield the island from the full cost of electricity generation.”

Since the first announcement of the Hydro Tasmania solar farm build, the company consistently says “The new solar farm will save an additional 300,000 litres in diesel and 800 tonnes in carbon emissions annually and deliver even greater reliability in electricity supply for local homes and businesses.”

Hydro Tasmania has not indicated that there would be any electricity cost saving for King Island residents or businesses due to and following the reduction in the company’s diesel purchase from TasPorts nor from the saving of 300000 litres in diesel consumption and the increased usage of solar in their renewable mix.

FEDERAL Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has declared war against feral cats – Australia’s latest “environmental disaster” bringing native species to extinction.

The federal government will act against feral (free roaming) cats as part of a new national action plan pitched to save thousands of native species on the brink of extinction.

Cats kill 6,000,000 animals every night and two billion reptiles, birds, and mammals in Australia every year, and are responsible for about two-thirds of the most recent native animal extinctions seen across Australia.

Ms Plibersek said she wanted to see a feral cat-free Australia.

“If we are serious about protecting our precious threatened species, then we have to tackle one of their biggest killers,” she said.

The government will move to save vulnerable species by rolling out a new tool, Felixer,  designed to kill feral cats by spraying them with a toxic gel and look at expanding cat-free fenced and island havens.

“We know that people love their domestic cats. While they have to look after them, have to keep them inside, they have to stop them killing wildlife,” she said.

The federal government has already invested $4m to eradicate feral cats from Christmas Island and $2.2m towards the French Island feral cat eradication program. It will seek to develop new cat-killing technologies, including the Felixer cat grooming trap, which was approved by federal authorities for use in June.

On King Island, the stakeholders invested in cat management are King Island Council, King Island Landcare Group (KILG), Cradle Coast NRM (CCNRM, part of Cradle Coast Authority, CCA), and TassieCat, which is funded by the Tasmanian Government.

Biosecurity Tasmania also has a role in cat management as they administer the relevant legislation and the Tasmanian Cat Management Plan.

A King Island feral cat eradication or control program is not currently funded.

The recent Tassie Cat King Island community survey suggested that there is continued support for cat management, and respondents are concerned about the impacts of free-roaming cats, particularly on wildlife.

A lesser-known publicised problem of roaming cats is the spread of toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmosis is caused by infection by a parasite Toxoplasma gondii.

All warm-blooded animals are susceptible to toxoplasmosis infection including humans, wildlife, and livestock.

Toxoplasmosis is cat-dependent and is considered rampant in Tasmania, with studies showing that more Tasmanians have antibodies to toxoplasmosis in their bloodstream than mainland residents.

Toxoplasmosis is estimated to cost Australian agriculture $10 million per annum and $76.2m in direct human costs which include medical, residential, therapeutic, and other direct health costs of the disease.

Humans become infected when they ingest oocysts (tiny eggs), which are in the soil and dust in places where cats have defecated, especially sandpits, vegetable gardens or kitty litter.

Humans can also become infected from eating undercooked meat if those farm animals have come into contact with cat-shed oocysts.

The most at risk are the immune-compromised, and pregnant women.

King Island Landcare Group has carried out cat management programs in the past including trapping feral cats and offering reimbursement for desexing services, with the aim of protecting native wildlife.

In 2023, KILG started a new project assisting primary production landholders with feral cat control.

King Island is home to two critically endangered and endemic bird species: the King Island Scrubtit and King Island Brown Thornbill which are vulnerable to cat predation.

As part of Cradle Coast NRM’s efforts to improve habitat and reduce threats to these species, the Cradle Coast regional NRM Committee has funded the lease of four Felixer grooming traps that are being trialled on King Island.

The first stage is a photo-only trial and managed under all relevant legislation and permits and in collaboration with King Island Council and KILG.

KILG is currently providing a small number of cage traps to landholders managing primary production land.

KILG is recording details of trap locations and results and informing landholders of their legal responsibilities.

A collaboration with Deakin University is enabling additional monitoring data to be collected from a network of wildlife cameras across the island to study feral cat population and distribution and a component planned is feral cat stomach analysis using cats trapped by KILG landholders to determine what native species are most vulnerable to cat predation.

Since March 2022, it has been a legal requirement under the Tasmanian Cat Management Act 2009 to desex and microchip any owned cat over the age of four months.

KILG is not currently funded for cat management projects, however, they can lend out cat traps free of charge to anyone in the community.

A trap would come with information on the state and federal legal agencies’ requirements.

This includes that any cat trapped within 1 km of a residential property must be checked for a microchip to ensure they are not a pet.

All cats caught and determined to not be domestic pets, must be euthanised humanely (shot by a licensed shooter or taken to a vet).

“Cat owners can do best for themselves, their cats, and King Island native wildlife by keeping their cats indoors, ensuring they are desexed and having them microchipped and collared,” Landcare said.

“King Island Landcare is not against ownership of household cats but merely wants them to not pose a threat to the overall population of the native King Island species.”