Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens’ Leader
Earlier this week, millions of Australians tuned in to see Sir David Attenborough’s documentary on Tasmania’s unique wilderness areas and threatened species. These are the same areas and species that are under direct threat from the Hodgman Government.
The world is watching. This World Environment Day, the Liberals must abandon their assault on protected areas - like the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area - where much of Sir David Attenborough’s documentary was filmed.
The Liberals’ anti-environment, pro-private development agenda is putting the State’s world renowned protected areas at risk - just as they are being celebrated on the world stage.
Under Will Hodgman’s leadership, the Liberals have:
- Opened publicly owned Parks and the TWWHA up for private exploitation under the EOI Process
- Been condemned by UNESCO for their attempts to revoke additions to the TWWHA and then to log and mine its wilderness
- Weakened the TWWHA Management Plan, to facilitate development
- Plan to open up 356 000ha of High Conservation Forests to logging
- Logging threatened species habitat in takayna/Tarkine
- Attempted to open 4WD tracks in the takayna/Tarkine
- Major expansion of the salmon industry, without public say or environmental checks
- Slashed funding to Park and Wildlife and Threatened Species Unit in DPIPWE
- Reversed the Labor Green Government ban on 1080
- Axed the Climate Change Ministry and Tasmanian Climate Action Council, and watered down the Tasmanian Climate Plan
- Facilitating the kunanyi/Mt Wellington cable car Proposed plans for a privately run Cradle Mountain cable car
- Allowed private companies to own and exclusively access public lands through the Office of the Coordinator General
- Given landholder consent for the Dover woodchip facility
A missing piece from Sir David Attenborough’s tribute to Tasmania was the biggest threat to our unique, island wilderness – the Liberals in government.
In their quest to being millions more tourists here, the Liberals are putting at risk everything that makes Tasmania special.
Uniquely Tasmanian threatened species that star on the international stage, like the Tasmanian devil, the giant freshwater lobster, and the eastern quoll are all at risk from logging and the wilderness destruction that accompanies the secretive Parks EOI process.
Tasmania’s reserves, national parks and World Heritage Area are all protected for their unique natural and cultural values. They are public lands, not to be sold or gifted to private developers for private profits.
Our State’s high conservation value forests are home to devils, quolls, eagles, parrots and other majestic creatures, but they’re earmarked for destruction under the Liberals’ plan.
On World Environment Day, on behalf of all current and future Tasmanians, the Greens are calling on the Liberals to walk away from their assault on our forests, protected areas, mountains and waterways.