From the May 2026 Buttongrass Bulletin, the regular email newsletter published by the Tasmanian National Parks Association (TNPA):
Mt Field gridlock
Mt Field National Park has seen steadily increasing visitation during 2019-2024 (2024-25 figures are not available). Spikes in visitor numbers associated with seasonal attractions like the turning of the fagus reveal the limits of existing facilities and reduces visitors’ enjoyment of the park as a result.
The 2021 TWWHA Tourism Master Plan (Mt Field is part of the TWWHA) recommended the preparation of a master plan for Mt Field to guide dealing with looming issues related to visitation, but this has not been progressed. Such a plan is now urgently needed, a first step to providing a strategic basis for considering future visitor management options, rather than, for example, any knee-jerk infrastructure upgrades.
Read more here.
PWC Next Iconic Walk decision
In late April, the Tasmanian Parliamentary Committee on Public Works (PWC) released its report recommending the PWS’s proposed ‘Next Iconic Walk’ in the Tyndall Range proceed (for more on the approval process, see here). However, one member of the five-member committee, Helen Burnet MP, produced a dissenting report. She concluded the proposal did not represent good value for public money, would have a significant environmental footprint on a fragile, sub-alpine region, and other proposals which may have provided higher economic benefits to West Coast communities were not sufficiently considered, amongst other reasons. We concur.
The committee found the concerns raised by us, and colleagues from TWS (Tasmania) and the TWGA, had been ‘adequately addressed’ by Parks and Wildlife. But if that had been the case, we wouldn’t have bothered making representations to the committee at its hearing last February.
A Development Application for the proposal will now be prepared for West Coast Council.
Read more here.
Mt McCall road upgrade
We are seriously concerned a significant upgrade of the former HEC road to Mt McCall, above the middle Franklin River, appears to be underway. The 1992 TWWHA management plan proposed closing this road to protect and enhance the integrity of the TWWHA, by restoring wilderness quality and reducing the risk of weed invasion for example. This was never progressed, and the 1999 management plan abandoned the idea. The current 2016 management plan allows continued authorised off-road vehicle use but refers to the road as a “vehicular track”. However, the plan provides no guidance to what this looks like. The 2025 West Coast Off-Road Vehicle Strategy identifies continued maintenance of the Mt McCall track, but the current works are developing what seems a long way from a vehicular track, more like a 2WD road. Last week some 8 machines were at work clearing, digging and surfacing along the length of the road. We remain concerned that increased access along this upgraded track could have detrimental impacts on the Outstanding Universal Values of the area.
Read more here.
Maria Island land clearing
The TNPA recently visited Maria Island to investigate concerns about excessive land clearing associated with the construction of the new Waste Water Treatment Plant. We can confirm that the scale of the clearing and earthworks appears excessive and inappropriate for a facility within a national park. It also raises some alarming questions about the future of the island. It appears that the state government is still intent on promoting Maria Island as a tourism destination as envisaged in the 2019 Maria Island Rediscovered initiative (see here). This is despite the overwhelming majority of public submissions relating to the yet-to-be-released management plan advocating maintenance of the status quo – no increase in visitor numbers and no additional visitor facilities. TNPA is currently preparing a report which will scrutinise the decision making which has led to the current situation. We expect this to be available soon.
PWS accommodation & aircraft policies
The PWS has provided the TNPA with two recently completed polices. The Visitor Accommodation Policy outlines a set of guiding principles for the range of visitor accommodation appropriate within Tasmania’s reserves. We are pleased to note that visitor accommodation is not appropriate in Self-Reliant and Wilderness management zones (unless allowed under a management plan), will not be allowed if the accommodation and related facilities can be located outside the reserve, and that aircraft must not be used to transport guests to or from visitor accommodation outside of the Visitor Services Zone (again unless provided for in a management plan). However, the potential for highly serviced hotels or resorts to be approved is alarming.
The second policy, Aircraft Access Policy for the TWWHA, aims to clarity commercial aircraft access to the TWWHA while ensuring its natural and cultural values and integrity are not compromised and the experience sought by other users is not unreasonably impacted. While the current TWWHA Management Plan outlines where commercial aircraft landings are permitted, the policy proposes that any flight path should avoid flying over land with a wilderness quality rating of 12 or above.
We call on the PWS to release these policies and question why such policies are not made routinely public. This lack of transparency for a publicly funded government agency is very concerning.
Proposed South Coast lodges
Together with other eNGOs, the TNPA has been in correspondence with Intrepid in relation to their recent purchase of Wild Bush Luxury, which owned the business rights and associated plans to develop six private lodges on Tasmania’s remote South Coast Track under the government’s Expressions of Interest process. Noting that this has been a very controversial proposal that would have significant detrimental impacts on the wilderness and recreational values of the region and has been strongly opposed by environmental and Aboriginal groups, we have called upon Intrepid to abandon this EOI proposal and relinquish any rights thereto. While no commitment to do so has been forthcoming from Intrepid, in their reply they have stated that they operate under the highest social and environmental standards and take community and stakeholder engagement seriously. Towards this end, we have accepted an offer to meet with Intrepid to share our concerns about this proposal in more detail. We are currently waiting to hear when such a meeting can be arranged.
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