Senator Peter Whish-Wilson
In the second half of 2021, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson embarked on a state-wide film tour of lutruwita/Tasmania, with the purpose of engaging the community and raising awareness of the dire plight and environmental challenges faced by Tasmania’s giant kelp forests.
Touring the film “Tasmania’s Troubled Waters” – a documentary produced by Peter’s Senate office, the tour went around the state “Town Hall style” in a specifically designed, depoliticised format focused entirely on discussing the issues faced by our giant kelp forests.
The format of the events included a screening of the documentary, followed by comments from special guests that included marine scientists, fishers, environmental restoration workers and members of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. A Q&A was also facilitated to ensure community was included in the discussions.
In this presentation, Peter will share snippets of his documentary and outline the insights he has gained from his work engaging with Tasmanian communities on this issue and the important role that community engagement and activism plays in the fight to protect Australia’s giant kelp forests.
Peter Whish-Wilson is a Greens Senator for lutruwita/Tasmania, and the Australian Greens Spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Agriculture and Waste.
An economist, activist and surfer, Pete is a passionate advocate for our marine environment and continues to use his platform to communicate the importance of restoring and protecting the giant kelp forests of lutruwita/Tasmania and Australia.