BURKE FAILS TARKINE & TASMANIA

Aboriginal Heritage Decision Only Saving Grace

The Tasmanian Greens today vowed to continue their campaign to protect the Tarkine, following the Federal Environment Minister’s politically-motivated decision to contradict the recommendations of the Australian Heritage Commission.

Greens Acting Leader Tim Morris MP said the Minister’s acknowledgement of the significant Aboriginal heritage along the Tarkine’s coast was a positive and long overdue step, and had the full support of the Greens.

“The Greens welcome the long overdue acknowledgement of the significant Aboriginal heritage along the Tarkine’s coast but we are shocked and disappointed to see and Environment Minister so blatantly contradict the advice of the independent Heritage Commission,” Mr Morris said.

“The Tarkine is home to some of the most remarkable and significant aboriginal heritage sites in the country, and the Greens regard this listing as being long overdue.”

“Unfortunately Minister Burke has cherry-picked the Australian Heritage Commission’s 2010 findings, which called for the protection of 433,000 hectares of the Tarkine due to the presence of countless threatened species.”

“Tony Burke has contradicted the recommendations of his own independent umpire and made a decision based on running scared of big business mining interests, and political expediency.”

“This is not a compromise by Tony Burke, this is an abrogation of his ministerial responsibilities to natural heritage values and threatened species, which are of national and global significance.”

“The Greens will continue our campaign to protect this globally significant wilderness, which is home to many threatened species and provides a refuge from disease for our very own wildlife icon, the Tasmanian devil.”

“The next question for the Minister is, if today’s announcement is not just lip-service, then how does he intend to stop the rampant destruction of Aboriginal heritage up and down the Tarkine coastline by off road vehicles and irresponsible vandals.”

“The Greens will continue to stand up for the full cultural and environmental integrity of our internationally acclaimed Tarkine,” Mr Morris said.
Tim Morris MP Greens Acting Leader Friday, 8 February 2013