Lutruwita/Tasmania’s world class national parks and reserves are under threat from a Liberal Government that can only see the dollar signs they bring in.
As a result of the secretive Expressions of Interest process, developers are lining up to profit from, and degrade, wilderness values at places like Lake Malbena and the South Coast Track. During this campaign, it has been revealed there are more than 60 EOI proposals being progressed through the Office of the Coordinator General, the details of only half are known.
Tasmanians from all walks, and of all political persuasions, now understand there is a privatization agenda underway, and the once proud Parks and Wildlife Service is increasingly being used by the Liberals to facilitate tourism development rather than look after the natural and cultural values of protected areas.
We can and must do better by our incredible protected areas. They underpin our sense of identity and wellbeing, our tourism sector and regional economies, and our clean, green brand.
The Greens’ plan, ‘lutruwita/Tasmania – A Wild State’ sets out the path forward for stronger protection and management of public protected areas, wilderness and cultural heritage values.
We will end the secretive EOI process and replace it with a transparent licensing process for all commercial activities inside protected areas.
We will restore the Parks and Wildlife Service to its original purpose of protecting values rather than tourism industry interests, and bring the agency under a stand alone Environment Department. The Greens will also increase Parks staffing for more rangers, Parks managers and rapid response, remote area fire fighting.
The corruption of Management Plans to facilitate development will be reversed and the protection of wilderness will be reinstated as an overarching management objective.
The future reserve forests (FPPF) are now classified as informal reserves. We will enact their formal reserve status and work with palawapeoples towards realising the kooparoona naira/Great Western Tiers as an Aboriginal owned and managed National Park.
We are also proposing a process to audit and assess areas of tourism potential in new and expanded reserves, to promote the sector’s sustainable growth, without impacting on wilderness and cultural values.
This is a pathway forward for growth in genuine nature-based tourism and conservation, delivered hand in hand.
Better protecting our Parks and reserves is key to the State’s recovery from COVID. In a world where wilderness is rapidly disappearing, Tasmania can be a beacon of wilderness protection.
The Greens’ plan sets out the path forward and we believe it reflects the wishes of most Tasmanians, who want our protected areas well managed and to stay in public hands.
Read the plan here: https://tasmps.greens.org.au/green-new-deal/lutruwita-tasmania-wild-state