Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader and Parks spokesperson
A proposal to double the footprint of Freycinet Lodge in to the Freycinet National Park is yet another Liberal lock up for a selected private developer.
Tasmanians have until 1 February to have their say on Parks’ Minister, Matthew Groom’s proposal to change the Freycinet National Park Management Plan to enable the lease of an extra 5.6 hectares of public national park to the RACT.
The Freycinet National Park Management Plan currently explicitly prohibits any extension of the development footprint of Freycinet Lodge into the fragile coastal protected area.
Rather than respect the natural values of the Freycinet National Park and the right of all Tasmanians to access it for the cost of a Parks’ pass, the Minister is facilitating a weakening of the area’s protections and locking Tasmanians out of their own Parks.
It's happening in the Tasman National Park with the exclusive and expensive Three Capes Track, and it’s a terrible taste of what is to come if the Liberals have their way locking up parts of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area for the private profit and enjoyment of the wealthy few.
Tasmania’s protected areas were set aside for their natural and cultural heritage values, to be enjoyed by all and for future generations. They are not and should not be the playthings of Liberal Governments and a handful of private developers.