Nick McKim MP | Greens Parks spokesperson
The United Nations has humiliated the state government by slapping down its plans to log and mine inside the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA).
Parks Minister Matthew Groom’s fixation with profiting from the TWWHA has blinded him to the true value of the area. It seems that if he can’t put a dollar sign in front of it, Mr Groom is just not interested.
The United Nations did not protect the TWWHA just so Mr Groom’s corporate buddies could make money from it.
If Mr Groom is serious about looking after the TWWHA he should withdraw his fatally flawed draft management plan, and put forward a new one which fulfils his responsibilities as the temporary custodian of the area.
There is also no excuse for Mr Groom’s failure to finalise the cultural heritage studies of the area in collaboration with the Tasmanian Aboriginal people. This work needs to be done as a matter of urgency, and rather than spending his time trying to spin the United Nation’s slap down as positive news, Mr Groom should be getting on with his job.