Killing the golden goose … ?

Photo: Nicole Anderson

The Tasmanian Greens today said that the State’s National Parks and reserve system belonged to all Tasmanians, and should not be exploited for the financial gain of a few large private operators.

Greens Tourism spokesperson Tim Morris MP said that recent comments from the Liberals yet again demonstrated their myopic negativity, saying that if they were genuine about boosting the State’s tourism industry they would cease campaigning for mining of the Tarkine, and also drop their opposition to the Forests Intergovernmental Agreement which has already identified a new tourism project, the 80 kilometre walk from Hobart into the south-west wilderness.

“Nobody questions the need to encourage further appropriate tourism investment into Tasmania and the best way to do so is to protect the natural values that bring people here in the first place,” Mr Morris said.

“Can the Liberals explain how building over, or digging up, the goose that lays the gold egg is a clever or responsible thing to do?”

“The Greens secured $16 million in the 2010-11 State Budget for the Parks and Wildlife service, to help address years of under-investment, and we further ensured that this money was quarantined from cost-saving cuts in last year’s budget.

“We have also given in-principle support to the proposed 80 kilometre multi day all-weather walk from Hobart into the south-west wilderness, proposed under the Forests IGA. Clearly given the Liberals’ blind opposition to the IGA, it is a safe but sad bet that they also oppose this potential tourism investment.”

“Without the Greens’ passionate support for maintaining the integrity of Tasmania’s National Parks and reserves, we wouldn’t have such an amazing product to market in the first place. But the market demands genuine product and a genuine brand.”

“The appropriate place for private investment is outside park boundaries. This both protects the natural asset while providing an equal playing field for tourism operators, and also improves the chances of financial benefits also being reaped by local businesses, rather than just flowing straight into the pockets of a few big operators.”

“This has been the Greens’ consistent position for over a decade, and for anyone to try to misrepresent it, smacks of deliberate mischievous motivation.”

“We will proudly stand by our commitment that Tasmania’s National Parks belong to all Tasmanians, current and future generations, and should not be treated as potential cash-cows for a few private operators,” Mr Morris said.