Photos by Bill Hatcher of Weld Valley forest that the Liberals would like to open up for logging.
Government says no logging unless UNESCO agrees, but UNESCO decision already rejects logging
Advice from NPWAC[1], the Governments’ own expert advisory body on World Heritage, has been obtained under freedom of information and reveals that both state and federal governments have known since at least March that their proposal to log oldgrowth rainforests within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) will negatively impact World Heritage values.
Despite this, and a July 2015 decision of the World Heritage Committee explicitly asking for logging to be prohibited, both State and Federal Governments continue to propose to log World Heritage-listed forests in the Styx, Weld and upper Florentine Valleys.
‘Expert internal advice, a World Heritage Committee decision and plain common sense say there is no place for logging inside a World Heritage Area,’ said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for the Wilderness Society.
‘Against all this expert advice, the Hodgman Government continues to push for logging oldgrowth rainforests in some of Tasmania’s most iconic and world-renowned forests like the Styx Valley.
In July, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee adopted a decision that called on Government to ensure logging is ‘prohibited’ across the entire World Heritage Area, via conservation tenure that protects values.[2]
‘Government says it will let UNESCO decide on the issues of logging rainforests Tasmania’s World Heritage Area, but UNESCO has already spoken and just two months ago it clearly asked for logging to be ruled out.
‘Pushing ahead with a case for logging World Heritage listed oldgrowth rainforests is another embarrassing black mark on Tasmania’s reputation, coming a year after the Abbott Government’s ‘feeble’ and ultimately unsuccessful delisting proposal.
‘Governments’ experts say logging will damage World Heritage values and UNESCO has already asked for it to be prohibited.
‘The Hodgman Government should drop plans to log oldgrowth rainforests in the World Heritage Area and commit to upgrade conservation tenure to National Park or equivalent, to meet the request of UNESCO’s 2015 decision and protect Tasmania’s international reputation.’
The Advice from NPWAC states:
‘…logging of forest for specialty or other timbers will significantly affect World Heritage values recognised in the earlier nominations…’
The July 2015 UNESCO decision urges:
‘…the State Party to ensure that commercial logging and mining are not permitted within the entire property, and that all areas of public lands within the property’s boundaries… have a status that ensures adequate protection of the OUV (Outstanding Universal Value) of the property’
[1] http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?id=1715
[2] http://whc.unesco.org/en/soc/3256
• Cassy O’Connor: Liberals Caught in World Heritage Bind of Their Own Making The Hodgman Government is delusional if it believes it can negotiate with the UNESCO World Heritage committee to allow logging, mining and intensified private tourism operations in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. National media reports suggest the Hodgman Government is caught in an impossible bind of its own making. It has declared the TWWHA open to logging but reportedly told the Federal Environment Minister that it will not log the wilderness without the World Heritage Committee’s agreement. That is not going to happen. The Liberals destructive plan for the WHA was slammed in July this year when the UNESCO Committee called on Australia to “ensure that commercial logging and mining are not permitted within the entire property.”
