Rosalie Woodruff MP | Acting Greens Leader
After sitting on the report into the takayna/Tarkine tracks since last year, the Gutwein Government have finally released the DPIPWE Aboriginal Heritage assessment under cover of a COVID update.
The takayna coastline is rich in Aboriginal Heritage, with middens and hut depressions dating back tens of thousands of years. The report confirmed this coast is absolutely a landscape of cultural significance and recommended the tracks remain closed.
After five years of stress for Aboriginal Tasmanians, and half a million dollars of public money down the drain on court costs, the takayna coast is safe.
The Liberals’ 2014 election promise to re-open the takayna tracks caused irreparable damage and was solely based on political grandstanding.
Premier Peter Gutwein opened this parliamentary term saying he would progress a Treaty, and stood at NAIDOC celebrations last week acknowledging the need to heal country.
Well, before Treaty comes Truth, Mr Gutwein.
Declaring the tracks will remain closed is the least the Premier must do. Peter Gutwein also owes an apology to Aboriginal Tasmanians for his government’s trashing of their ancient cultural values and for putting them through unwarranted stress.
Aboriginal people deserve better than a media release after 4pm, under the cover of COVID.