Greens Leader Waters weighs in as Robbins Island wind farm pressure mounts
The Greens are navigating a complex debate over Robbins Island, a proposed 100-turbine wind farm in Tasmania that would become the state’s largest renewables project. The controversy has split Greens leadership and raised questions about how the party will balance the push for wind energy with biodiversity protections and the concerns of its Tasmanian senators.
What Waters has said publicly
Greens leader Larissa Waters has avoided declaring a firm stance on the project while acknowledging the need to assess its implications carefully. In comments to the ABC’s Insiders, Waters said she is not “familiar enough” with the project to take a definitive position but stressed that renewables should not unduly threaten biodiversity.
Her remarks signal a willingness to engage with the issue rather than oppose every large-scale project outright. “I accept it has to be in the right place and if this one isn’t, let’s look at somewhere else to put it,” Waters said. She emphasized the Greens’ broader goal: to balance the demand for large-scale and small-scale renewable energy with biodiversity protections, insisting it is within the party’s capabilities to find a pathway that serves both climate goals and conservation priorities.
Opposition from Tasmanian Greens colleagues
The Robbins Island plan has drawn sharp opposition from two Greens senators representing Tasmania, Nick McKim and Peter Whish-Wilson. They have argued that the project endangers several endangered species and has described the approval process as deeply flawed. In a joint statement, the senators said the decision by Environment Minister Murray Watt to grant conditional approval—subject to 88 safeguards—would undermine confidence in renewable energy rollout if pursued in the wrong place.
Their stance underscores a broader tension within the Greens: championing rapid decarbonisation while safeguarding unique ecosystems. The project’s defenders argue that with stringent conditions, including protections for the orange-bellied parrot and Tasmanian devils, wind energy can coexist with conservation. Critics contend that the ecological risks, logistics, and local community impacts render Robbins Island unsuitable for a major wind farm.
Broader reform ambitions and climate strategy
Waters connected the Robbins Island debate to a wider agenda: reforming environmental laws to accelerate renewables without compromising biodiversity. The Greens advocate for no-go zones and legally binding considerations of climate impacts in major infrastructure decisions. They argue that environmental safeguards should evolve in step with ambitious climate targets, and that legislation should preemptive- ly prevent new fossil fuel projects where possible.
At the same time, Waters urged the government to end native forest logging and to strengthen protections around ecologically sensitive areas. She framed these measures as essential for a credible, climate-focused environmental regime that can earn public trust while supporting the fastest feasible transition to clean energy.
The politics of ambition and realism
Labor and Greens cooperation on environmental reform remains nuanced. Waters noted that the government has renewed efforts to advance environmental reforms, though specifics on changes to the policy framework were not laid out. Her critique of the current target to cut emissions—described in asterisks by some Greens as “pathetic”—reflects the party’s broader push for more aggressive climate action, even as it negotiates with coalition partners on practical rollout timelines.
What comes next
As the Robbins Island debate continues, the Greens intend to press for robust environmental protections and transparent decision-making in major projects. Waters’ open-minded stance suggests a willingness to scrutinise each project case-by-case, ensuring that any expansion of renewable energy aligns with biodiversity safeguards and climate objectives. For now, the party’s position appears to hinge on a careful balance: accelerate clean energy while protecting ecosystems that are already under pressure.
