Pic: by Bob Brown
The plan for more huts along the South Coast and Overland Tracks will erode the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area’s globally-renowned wilderness brand while locking out the wider public from the intrusive amenities, environmentalist Bob Brown said today.
“Hodgman’s minister for wilderness degradation, Matthew Groom, while taking part in the announcement of MONA’s Macquarie Point’s National Truth and Reconciliation Art Park, is promoting loss of the historic wild landscape of the South Coast Track and further commercial buildings at Cradle Mountain, the Walls of Jerusalem, Mt Field and Frenchmans Cap. At the same time, the Hodgman government plans to gut rather than protect 357,000 hectares of Tasmania’s high-conservation value forests and wildlife habitat.
“Meantime the same premier and minister is in the courts opposing Aboriginal efforts to protect their Tarkine heritage.
“There is no cohesion or integrity in whatever vision the Hodgman government has for Tasmania. It is a grab-bag of commercial ideas from outside filling a vacuum of ideas from inside the government. Tasmania deserves much better,” Brown said.
There will be a public meeting in the Hobart Town Hall this Wednesday, 14th December, at 1.10pm to highlight Hodgman’s plans to open the previously protected forests to logging.
Jenny Weber, The Bob Brown Foundation
