Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has ruled out further emergency heritage listing of Tasmania’s Tarkine wilderness.
Mr Burke has been criticised by environment groups for ignoring an Australian Heritage Council report from last October, which recommended the inclusion of 433,000 hectares of the Tarkine on the National Heritage Register.
They fear it has left the door open for mining proposals in the area.
Mr Burke says the previous emergency listing granted in the face of the planned Tarkine loop road had to legally lapse after the proposal fell through.
“Once the road was no longer on foot, the emergency listing had to legally lapse,” he said.
“I sought advice as to whether or not, in the context of the mining proposals, they would under the Act give rise to the reasons for an emergency listing.
“My department advised that it did not give rise to the conditions for an emergency listing.”
The minister says other legal protections remain in place.
“All the rules of national environmental significance remain in place for any proposals for the Tarkine.”
“The extra overlay of a heritage listing is something where the advice of my department says the requirements of the Act are not met,” he said.
