Media release – Fishers and Walkers Tasmania (FAW-Tas), 26 July 2022
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Fishers and Walkers Tasmania (FAW-Tas) are somewhat amused by todays media release from Daniel Hackett of Wild Drake Pty Ltd regarding his proposal for a helicopter tourism operation into World Heritage listed Halls Island. Amused, outraged but not surprised.
Typically this release holds a litany of mis-truths and Mr Hackett ignores the overwhelming reality of this failed project. It has been rejected by the Central Highlands Council. It was rejected by the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council, the Aboriginal Heritage Council, the full bench of the Supreme Court of Tasmania and the most important court of all, that of public opinion.
To address the mistruths in the Wild Drake release.
• Mr Hackett has undertaken studies to create his own data for the wilderness assessment to form part of the EPBC Act submission. That’s fox in the hen-house stuff. It’s not worth the paper it’s written on.
• Wild Drake has no active Development Application (DA), no active Regional Activity Assessment (RAA). This project is not even at square one.
• Mr Hackett has now elevated potential employment numbers to thirteen from two – we note he does not state whether the thirteen is full time equivalent. Deception by omission.
• Mr Hackett currently pays the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) $19.23 per week or $1000 per annum for the lease over the island. This will not change until his operation is up and running – which either won’t happen at all or not for many, many years. In Budget Estimates recently PWS admitted they allocate two full-time staff to assess there EOIFAs (of which there are only a couple active) – it’s costing Tasmanians a fortune, for no return.
• Claims about helicopter flight paths and noise are disingenuous at best, should this project get up Wild Drake will push as many clients through as possible, much like the Tasmanian Walking Co does on the Overland Track.
Mr Hackett has mis-represented his opponents, deceived the previous lessee of the Halls Island hut and no doubt those in the public service to further the pipe dreams of his secret backers and himself. The Western Lakes and the Walls of Jerusalem National Park are special places for thousands of people over many generations but Mr Hackett will not respect their wishes and cease and desist.
Mr Hackett has allowed heritage-listed Halls Hut to degrade to such an extent over the period of his ‘custodianship’ that extensive works need to be undertaken to repair the neglect – this needs to happen immediately, by professional restoration craftspeople at the cost of Wild Drake.
Tasmanian anglers and bushwalkers will continue to visit Halls Island when we want, we will not ask permission of Mr Hackett – Halls Island was always a refuge for bushwalkers and will continue to be so for generations to come. Privatising World Heritage wilderness will not be tolerated by those of us that truly treasure it.
This tin-eared approach will only end in another failure for Mr Hackett. The anglers, bushwalkers and right-minded people of Tasmania are ready to let Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek know exactly how we feel and why this project needs to be rejected outright.
Editor’s note: Wild Drake did not send us their statement. If they had have, it would be above. We searched for it on the internet but were unable to find it on the first 10 pages of search results.
