Minister Burke must not use IGA as smokescreen

The Tarkine National Coalition has described Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke’s comments on ABC’s Statewide Mornings as an attempt to use the Intergovernmental Agreement on Forests as a smokescreen to hide his featherbedding of new mines into the Tarkine.

In his interview, Minister Burke stated that following the current IGA verification process for new forest reserves, he would have a “better idea” of what areas the Tasmanian Government would be willing to protect. This is in conflict with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act that defines the process for National Heritage Listing. Under the lawful process, the Minister refers a nomination to the Australian Heritage Council (AHC) for assessment, the AHC conducts an assessment of whether there are qualifying national heritage values presents, and recommends whether or not to list any area.

“The National Heritage Listing process is clearly defined in law, and it does not include effectively devolving the Federal Minister’s powers to a state government that is already on the record as opposing any National Heritage Listing” , said Tarkine National Coalition’s Campaign Coordinator, Scott Jordan.

“The Minister is attempting to hand over the future of the Tarkine to an intransigent Bryan Green and the mining corporations”.

“Attempting to tie the National Heritage Listing to the Intergovernmental Agreement on forests makes no sense since forestry operations are exempt from National Heritage protections. This is a tricky political play to allow nine more months for miners to get their projects approved without National Heritage scrutiny, and to hand over responsibility for the environmental tragedy to the Tasmanian government”.

“Tony Burke has the responsibility to protect Australia’s National Heritage places, and he cannot wash his hands of this”.

Also of concern was the Minister’s attempt to portray public concerns over delays in the now seven year long assessment as pressure to “rush the listing process”, despite the Australian Heritage Council actually returning a recommendation in September 2010.

The TNC has called for the immediate listing of the Tarkine in line with the AHC’s September 2010 recommendations.

• MORE EXCUSES FROM TONY BURKE OVER TARKINE DELAYS

Paul O’Halloran MP
Greens Member for Braddon

The Tasmanian Greens today called on the Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to stop peddling flimsy excuses and start being up front about why he is delaying National Heritage Listing of the Tarkine.

Greens Member for Braddon Paul O’Halloran MP said Mr Burke needs to explain why he thinks it’s not important to put in place measures that would help to protect the last facial-tumour disease-free Tasmanian devil habitat.

“Tony Burke should just come out and state what’s already obvious, which is that he and his Tasmanian Labor colleagues are captive to the interests of the mining industry at the expense of the last disease-free Tasmanian devil stronghold.”

“Today Mr Burke came up with a new excuse, saying that he needed to wait for the verification process for new forest reserves under the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement.”

“This is just another distraction, because the Minister knows full well that State Government determinations regarding the Tarkine’s conservation values have no legal bearing on the Australian Heritage Council’s assessment process under federal legislation.”

“The Australian Heritage Council has previously deemed the region to be worthy of National Heritage Listing, a determination that the Minister chose to ignore by pushing ahead with this latest assessment, a sham process designed to buy more time for the mining industry.”

“The Resources Minister Bryan Green and the Environment Minister Brian Wightman would almost certainly be using the Minister’s visit today to again lobby on behalf of the mining industry, but I’m urging Mr Burke to remember his responsibilities to threatened species.”

“Last week Australians were shocked when photographs showed that Shree Minerals had failed to cap its exploration drill holes at its proposed Nelson Bay mine site on the west coast, creating potential death traps for devils.”

“This was just one small example of how the expansion of mining in the Tarkine would threaten biodiversity in the region.”

“Here’s a chance for Mr Wightman to also stand up as the chief custodian of the environment rather than sit back and do nothing while the Tassie devil suffers a death by a thousand open-cuts.”