Greens Leader Richard Di Natale is in Tasmania to announce his party will do what the other parties have refused and start the process for bringing the Tarkine into the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

“This is an incredibly precious rainforest, home to ancient relics that teach us so much about our natural and cultural heritage. It must be protected,” Senator Di Natale said.

“The Greens will nominate the Tarkine for World Heritage listing, by recommending the World Heritage Committee extend the boundaries of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

“This forest will never be worth more dead than alive. Protection of this living heritage is the best offering Australia could make to Tasmanians and the rest of the world.”

Greens Senator for Tasmania Nick McKim said:

“Successive Liberal and Labor governments have caved to their vested interests and refused to nominate the Tarkine for World Heritage listing.

“The Tarkine is unequivocally is of World Heritage standard and deserving of all the protections that the World Heritage Convention provides. It would provide a foundation to promote and attract visitors to the north west coast from around Australia and the world.

“The Australian Heritage Council has called for it to be World Heritage listed, the global community is impatient to see protected, and the Greens are proud to be getting the ball rolling.”

Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson who’s based in the north of the state said:

“The protection of the Tarkine will provide certainty for the tourism industry in the North West. We need to move away from the boom and bust commodity cycles that plague the region by diversifying into industries like nature and cultural heritage tourism.

“Listing would provide protection for the superlative Indigenous values and the nomination process would provide impetus for engagement with the Indigenous community about ongoing protection and management of the region.”

The Greens will invest:
• $3 million for a World Heritage Interpretation Centre to kick-start planning & development,
• $1 million for TWWHA marketing & promotion
• $1 million to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre for consultation with Aboriginal communities and surveys of Aboriginal cultural heritage,
• $1 million for a Tourism Master Plan to look at access, demand and visitor needs
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The full policy documents can be found here: http://greens.org.au/tarkine
Greens Leader Richard Di Natale, Greens Senator for Tasmania Nick McKim