Paul Howes anti-Tarkine comments misinformed
No current mines to be affected by National Heritage Listing
The Tarkine National Coalition has expressed concern that Paul Howes’ claims that a Tarkine National Heritage Listing would jeopardise existing mining jobs are incorrect and he appears to be misled.
The nomination currently being assessed excludes existing mines, including the Savage River and Rosebery mines Mr Howes referred to.
“Mr Howes seems to have bought the Tasmanian Minerals Council line here. The problem is, it just isn’t the truth,” said Campaign Coordinator, Scott Jordan.
“We welcome any dialog with Mr Howes, and believe his concerns have already been addressed in the initial nomination boundaries and the subsequent Australian Heritage Council recommendation”.
“National Heritage Listing of the Tarkine will not cost a single existing mining job in Tasmania.”
• Christine Milne: Our Tarkine’s future depends on protection
“Mining the Tarkine is to Lara Giddings what damming the Franklin was to Robin Gray.” Senator Christine Milne, leader of the Australian Greens said today.
“Both these premiers are so entrenched in the view that destroying places for short-term economic outcomes and minimal jobs that will fail to see that long-term protection is a far better result for Tasmania. The premier must not give in to Paul Howes’ bullying tactics, dropping in to whip up anger to divide the community.
“Premier Giddings knows full well that the Tarkine has not only national heritage, but world heritage values.
“The 2010 leaked Australian Heritage Council report confirmed that the Tarkine has outstanding heritage values. It is the largest cool temperate rainforest in Australia, a relic of Gondwanaland and home to more than 60 rare, threatened and endangered species including the Giant Freshwater Lobster, the Spotted tail Quoll, and the iconic Tasmanian Devil. It cradles priceless Aboriginal heritage and globally significant karst systems. It is one of our last remaining great wildernesses.
“Minister Burke, in full knowledge of the Council’s findings, caved into mining interests by refusing to renew the emergency national heritage listing put in place by Peter Garrett. If he does not now move to put in place an emergency heritage listing and do a strategic assessment of the entire Tarkine area, he will be responsible with Lara Giddings for its destruction.
“The new mines on the table are massive open cut proposals and provide comparatively few jobs for just ten years. It is farcical to suggest that destructive open-cut mines won’t destroy the Tarkine, which can be the foundation of sustainable long-term jobs.
“Tasmania’s whole brand of clean, green and clever needs to be authentic; it is not a marketing gimmick. Every time national heritage and world heritage values are destroyed, dollars are taken off the value of Tasmania’s tourism product and reputation, not to mention the many businesses and people in Tasmania who rely on our reputation as an environmentally conscious state.
“For Premier Giddings to campaign against the national heritage listing of critical habitat for the Tasmanian devil demonstrates once and for all that Labor can’t be trusted on the environment.
“It is still not too late for Tony Burke to act and I urge him to move immediately to protect the Tarkine.”
HOWES’ BULLY-BOY ANTICS HAVE NO PLACE IN MODERN-DAY TASMANIA
AWU Uses Threatened Species Day to Push Mining in Devil Habitat
Paul O’Halloran MP
Greens Member for Braddon
Friday, 7 September 2012
The Tasmanian Greens today urged all Tasmanians to ignore attempts by Paul Howes from the Australian Workers Union to stir up community anger and division over mining development in the Tarkine.
Greens Member for Braddon Paul O’Halloran MP said Mr Howes was promoting the same type of disastrous ‘crash through’ approach to mining development in the Tarkine as was attempted in relation to the failed Tamar Valley pulp mill.
“It’s sadly fitting that Mr Howes has chosen Threatened Species Day to fly down to Tasmania and advocate digging up large swathes of habitat in the last disease free stronghold for the Tasmanian devil,” Mr O’Halloran said.
“Like a schoolyard bully, Mr Howes comes down here every few months to goad the community into a good old fashioned fight with the greenies where nobody wins except him and his own political ambitions.”
“He wants to repeat the mistakes of the pulp mill, which was a project that never had a social licence and was forced on the Tasmanian people without any consideration of its long-term economic downside.”
“The pulp mill debate has left a terrible scar across the social and economic fabric of the Tamar Valley and I am sickened to think that it could happen again in my home of north-west Tasmania.”
“It’s also misleading of Mr Howes to suggest that the Greens want to put a stop to current mining in the Tarkine, which does employ a considerable number of people and delivers money into the local economy.”
“The long-term future of the Tarkine will be about far more than just resource extraction, which is why the Greens want to make sure that we do not destroy the values that make it special and unique.”
“The Greens believe that the best way to protect this wilderness jewel, including the endangered Tasmanian devils that call it home, would be to begin a discussion over the future boundaries of a Tarkine National Park.”
• Terry Long:
Tasmania’s mining industry has welcomed the AWU’s significant effort to bring balance into the Tarkine debate.
The executive director of the Tasmanian Minerals Council Terry Long said today the AWU campaign will be a big help to industry and employees in countering some the ideologically driven opposition to mining, particularly interstate.
He said mining and natural values can coexist in Tasmania’s North-West and the State has a strong legislative and regulatory regime to ensure this can happen.
• Vica Bayley, Lyndon Schneiders: Tarkine Wilderness – too special to mine
The Tarkine is World Heritage-quality wilderness and should not be exposed to new highly destructive strip and open-cut mining developments, the Wilderness Society said today in response to the Australian Workers’ Union campaign to promote mining in the globally significant conservation area.
“There are many reports, recommendations and research that clearly recognise the Tarkine’s unique National and World Heritage quality based on significant environmental and cultural values that are directly threatened by these new mining proposals,” said Lyndon Schneiders, National Director of the Wilderness Society.
“In today’s world, strip and open cut mines are simply not compatible with protecting threatened species like the Tasmanian Devil, safeguarding ancient cultural values, securing pristine waterways and maintaining wilderness areas.
The Australian Heritage council[1], the World Heritage expert from the Government auspiced Independent Verification Group[2] and others have recognised the national and global importance of the Tarkine area.
“The reality is that many of the mine proposals in the Tarkine are located in pristine areas that are already protected in reserves that have loopholes to specifically allow mining” said Vica Bayley, Tasmanian Campaign Manager for the Wilderness Society. “Others rely on destroying pristine rainforest that many across Tasmania’s community have worked for decades to see properly protected.
“The mining industry, its investors and supporters must realise that Tasmania’s future rests with properly protecting and respecting its environment and opening up new regional economic opportunities that diversify regional economies.
“While fly-in fly-out campaigners such as the AWU want to hook Tasmania’s future to the mining boom it places us all at serious risk of the inevitable bust. Reliance on one big industrial saviour has repeatedly failed Tasmania in the past.
“A more sustainable future for Tasmania is to truly realise the clean, clever and caring vision by protecting its globally significant environment and capitalising on the new opportunities that can create.”
[1] http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/ahc/national-assessments/tarkine/pubs/tarkine-values-summary-2011.pdf
[2] http://www.environment.gov.au/land/forests/independent-verification/pubs/ivg_conservation_5a_heritage.pdf
