The deadline for comments on the proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Bruny Bioregion is Wednesday 16th April.

You can send your comments and submissions to the Secretary, Department of Primary Industries and Water, GPO Box 44, Hobart, TAS 7001,

email: Fishing.Enquiries@dpiw.tas.gov.au

fax Recreational Fisheries Enquiries, Wild Fisheries Management Branch Fax: 03 6223 1539

Save Ralphs Bay Inc has produced cards featuring iconic images of our precious bay and its wildlife, and tea towels.  Sales of the cards and tea towels will help with our continuing fundraising efforts for Save Ralphs Bay Inc.

Select More .. to download previews.

A key environmental hotspot in Franklin for almost four years, the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area is in the hands of the Resource Planning and Development Commission AND, ultimately, the Federal Government. Whoever is elected to represent Franklin on Saturday will enter Parliament with the community’s expectation that he or she will be a strong voice in Canberra for Ralphs Bay

The community group formed in March 2004, Save Ralphs Bay Inc (SRB), congratulates the RPDC for its rigorous and comprehensive guidelines for the assessment of the Walker Corporation’s proposed canal estate development and calls on to the Walker Corporation to make a public commitment to the PoSS process and the Premier, Paul Lennon, to allow the RPDC to conduct a comprehensive, rigorous assessment of the proposed development without interference.

To further its inappropriate development agenda, the Lennon Government has directed the Resource Planning and Development Commission NOT to consider Ralphs Bay as part of its current Inquiry into Marine Protected Areas in the Bruny Bioregion.
On the 8th of August, Planning Minister Steve Kons directed the RPDC to remove the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area from its recommendations on the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Bruny Bioregion

SYDNEY DEVELOPER FACES TOUGH TEST IN TASMANIA’S INDEPENDENT PLANNING SYSTEM - IF DUE PROCESS IS ALLOWED TO PREVAIL.

>>> DOWNLOAD THE NEWSLETTER HERE (184 KB PDF)

The community group charged with preventing Tasmania’s first canal housing estate from being constructed inside the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area today expressed its belief that the Walker Corporation can be defeated in the Resource Planning and Development Commission (RPDC).

Responding to the release late yesterday of the RPDC Draft Scope Guidelines and the developer’s Project Scope, Save Ralphs Bay (SRB) Inc. said while the group still did not believe the Walker proposal should even be in the formal planning system, now that the assessment is underway SRB Inc. will invest all its available time, money and human resources in beating billionaire Lang Walker’s plan.

A crowd of over 300 attended today’s “Rally for Democracy and the Coast” to listen to Cassy O’Connor of SRB Inc., Prof. Jeff Malpas of the UTAS School of Philosophy, and MLC Terry Martin.

Dowload MP3 audio file of the Speech from Terry Martin, MLC
( 7.2 MB MP3 download - 24:10 )

(Photo: MLC Terry Martin ©2007 Thomas Moore)

Dowload MP3 audio file of the Speech from Prof. Jeff Malpas
( 4.9 MB MP3 download - 16:20)

(Photo: Prof. Jeff Malpas ©2007 Thomas Moore)

Dowload MP3 audio file of the Speech from Cassy O’Connor
( 4.6 MB MP3 download - 14:50)

(Photo: Cassy O’Connor ©2007 Thomas Moore)

A transcript of the speech from Cassy O’Connor follows: