WHA REVIEW SHOULD REINFORCE RECOGNISED VALUES

The Tasmanian Greens today cautiously welcomed the review into management of Tasmania’s World Heritage Areas (WHA) saying the recent boundary changes required both the management plan and resourcing for these areas to be reviewed.

Greens Environment spokesperson, Cassy O’Connor MP, warned the management plan must reflect and prioritise the unique natural values and wilderness qualities for which the WHA has received international recognition, then set criteria to ensure tourism access and activities occur in a consistent, sympathetic manner to those recognised values, rather than exploit and degrade them.

“Generations of Tasmanians have fought fiercely to preserve these areas as globally significant reserves. We now have the responsibility of ensuring the management plans prioritise the environmental integrity for which they were protected in the first place,” Ms O’Connor said.

“Absolutely we want people to be able to share and experience these magnificent places, but it must be in a manner that does not threaten the goose that laid the golden egg.

“The community is tired of a few privileged private developers getting maximum financial benefit from public assets that belong to all Tasmanians.

“It does not make ecological or economic sense to exploit and damage the very values for which the Tasmanian wilderness WHA has received international recognition.

“We also need to recognise that undertakings have been given to the Palawa people of Tasmania for further work to be done on the cultural values and sites within the WHA.

“These commitments must be honoured, before we start to see private developers eyeing off areas from which they seek to make a profit.

“There are examples around the world of ways in which these protected areas can be accessed with minimal impact, but still provide an outstanding wilderness experience.

“There is no argument that justifies that these places are locked up, every person is entitled to visit them. The majority of public land that is locked behind boom gates in Tasmania is set aside for forestry and mining,” Ms O’Connor said.
Cassy O’Connor MP Greens Environment Spokesperson Saturday, 6 July 2013