WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE VISIT …

ABORIGINES REJECT TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT ATTEMPT TO CONTROL ABORIGINAL VOICE

The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre will not be part of the Tasmanian government’s heritage committee being set up to control what Aborigines say to the visiting World Heritage Committee.

Spokesperson for the TAC Trudy Maluga said, “The Tasmanian government intends to establish a sub-committee made up of organisations and individuals to operate underneath Parks & Wildlife. The plan is to control the voices that might speak with the visiting international Monitoring Committee. The groups and individuals have a vested interest in siding with the Hodgman government. It is underhanded and a poor indication of how the government deals with the Abroiginal community. Hand-picking people who agree with you is devious policy on the run.

The TAC was invited onto the Committee. We rejected the idea out of hand.

The Monitoring Committee needs to be made aware of how the Hodgman government is trying to kill dissent and split the Aboriginal community. The Tasmanian government has set aside two and a half days of the three day visit for the Monitoring Committee to deal with government and its agencies, including its heritage committee. The whole thing is contrived and stage managed.

We will contact the Monitoring Committee directly to point out the Tasmanian government’s tactic. It is clear the Tasmanian government is extremely concerned about its plans to open up the World Heritage area to logging, infrastructure development, helicopters and helipads, walk ways and four wheel driving. This plan will effectively destroy the cultural heritage of Aboriginal people and further marginalise the community.”
Trudy Maluga State Secretary Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre Inc.