– Withdraw nomination – Decision this week
The Federal Labor Government has breached both the World Heritage Convention and the world heritage operational guidelines and should immediately withdraw its nomination of a further 172,500 hectares of Tasmania for world heritage said Guy Barnett, state Liberal candidate for Lyons today.
“Both the Convention and the guidelines require ‘consultation’ and this simply has not occurred.
The Federal government’s nomination will be assessed at the World Heritage Committee meeting being held in Cambodia starting from tomorrow Monday 17 June concluding on 27 June. It still has time to withdraw and it should to ensure Tasmanians are consulted and also to save international embarrassment.
The total lack of consultation and a rushed and flawed process was confirmed in the report of one of the two key advisory bodies to the World Heritage Committee which recommended against the nomination proceeding.
“This report is both hugely significant and a damning indictment on the Federal Labor Government.
“The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) report to the World Heritage Committee recommended the nomination be ‘referred back’ to the Australian Government because there was no consultation whatsoever with the Tasmanian Aboriginal community.
The recent community meeting in Deloraine confirmed there had been no consultation but Mr Burke says there has been.
Mr Burke has acted in breach of the law and should withdraw the nomination before it is too late.
The 172,500 hectares is more than 12% of the existing World Heritage area and appears to be the largest ‘minor modification’ ever submitted to the World Heritage Committee. This fact is further evidence of a breach of the guidelines.
The report by the IUCN (advisory body to the World Heritage Committee) notes that the Australian Government has forwarded detailed maps of the area nominated to the WHC but these same maps have been denied to Tasmanian legislators, the TFGA and the public. This report confirms the Federal Government is involved in a shocking abuse of process.
If more of Tasmania is to be locked up in world heritage this coming week then we will know that the Labor government with the urging of its Green conspirators will have acted without the consultation or consent of the Tasmanian people and in breach of the law.
Download:
ICOMOS 2013 Addendum, Evaluations of Nomination of Cultural and Mixed Properties to the World Heritage List – pages 6 and 7:
whc13-37com-8B1infAdd-en.6-7.pdf
IUCN Addendum, IUCN Evaluations of Nominations of Natural and Mixed Properties to the World Heritage List
whc13-37com-8B2inf-Add-en.pdf
Guy Barnett
