The Greens welcome many aspects of the TICT’s submission, in particular its opposition to logging and mining which has left the Hodgman government high and dry as the only advocate for despoiling the World Heritage Area in that way, Greens Parks spokesperson Nick McKim MP said today.
“The TICT’s acknowledgement of the role played by the environment movement in protecting Tasmania’s wild places is a positive if somewhat belated step.”
“TICT’s view that the term ‘wilderness’ should be retained is also welcome, but given its continued support of developments that would unarguably compromise wilderness values in the World Heritage Area it seems of little more than rhetorical value.”
“One of the fundamental problems with the government’s draft management plan is that it reprioritises management of the WHA away from protecting wilderness values and towards profiteering by the private sector. The TICT, like the government, needs to understand that World Heritage Areas are created for protection, not profit.”
“The number and scale of developments in the World Heritage Area that are supported by the TICT, and its support for increased access and noise pollution from planes and helicopters, remain of concern to the Greens,” Mr McKim said.