Clear Government commitments required to address TWWHA mission report

Australian and Tasmanian governments must outline how they will address United Nations’ Wilderness World Heritage concerns

The Wilderness Society today called on both the Australian and Tasmanian governments to clearly outline the steps they will take to address the recommendations of the UNESCO mission report that looked into proposed weakening of protections for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

The mission report, among other things, recommends government do the following:

• “Confirm an unambiguous commitment that the property is off-limits to commercial logging in its entirety.”

• “Establish strict criteria for new tourism development within the property, which would be in line with the primary goal of protecting the property’s OUV [outstanding universal values], including its wilderness character and cultural attributes.”

• “Refine the balance between legitimate tourism development and the management and conservation of the cultural and natural values of the TWWHA based on further consultation and negotiation of competing interests.”
• Retain “the ‘Wilderness Zone’, as currently used and interpreted … while explicitly providing for Aboriginal access for cultural practices as an integral part of the management of the zone.”
• “Support and consolidate the emerging joint management of the TWWHA with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community.”
“This report outlines a range of very clear steps Government needs to take to demonstrate Australia is properly protecting the outstanding values of our Wilderness World Heritage Area,” said Wilderness Society Tasmanian Campaign Manager Vica Bayley.

“We welcome the report and seek very clear commitments from both the State and Federal governments about the exact steps they propose to take to meet these recommendations and maintain strong protections for World Heritage values, including wilderness.

“We note the clear recommendation that issues pertaining tourism development and values’ protection are to be ‘refined’ based on ‘consultation and negotiation of competing interests,’ including environmental concerns.”
Vica Bayley Tasmanian Campaign Manager