Federal Government defends move to delist part of Tasmania’s World Heritage Area
Environment Minister Greg Hunt has defended the Federal Government’s push to delist a section of Tasmania’s World Heritage Area.
The Government has asked the World Heritage Committee to delist about 74,000 hectares of 170,000 which was added under Tasmania’s historic forest peace deal.
Mr Hunt says the area was added amidst “enormous local controversy” and was against the wishes of some in the community.
“What has been put to the committee for reconsideration is 117 degraded or logged areas so these were areas that many people feel should never have been added because they significantly detract from what is one of the great World Heritage Areas,” he said.
“I have been right over the maps, the photographs – these were old logging areas, 117 of them, that were added against the wishes of local community.”
Audio: Radio National’s Fran Kelly talks to Greg Hunt. (ABC News)
Under last year’s World Heritage boundary change, areas of the Southern Forests, the Styx and the Florentine were given protection.
But the Government has said areas of genuine high conservation value are not part of the delisting plan, including tall forests in the Great Western Tiers.
A prominent world heritage consultant is worried about the plan.
Peter Hitchcock was a key advisor on the original Tasmanian World Heritage nomination in 1989, and is questioning the claim that some of it is not worth protecting.
He has told Radio National that about 90 per cent of the land is outstanding eucalyptus forest that had never been logged.
“Some of it is some of the most outstanding forests in the country, if not in the planet,” Mr Hitchcock said.
“So the great majority of the area that is being proposed to be removed from the World Heritage Area is in fact unlogged forest, and much of it with important conservation values.”
Do you agree with the Government’s decision? Have your say.
Special timber workers support the delisting, but say the Government should have applied for more special timber areas to be removed.
George Harris from the Special Timbers Alliance says the industry has been severely disadvantaged since 170,000 hectares were placed under the highest level of protection.
“We have actually lost a lot of area in the extension that went through last year,” he said.
“They’ve actually taken most of our best stands of timber and we’re in a situation where you can’t harvest it where it doesn’t grow, we need to actually be able to access particular types of timber.”
Liberal candidate Guy Barnett says the public should support the de-listing move because the areas should never have been listed in the first place.
“The Greens have had so much influence over the Labor Governments both federally and at a state level, it’s time to say enough is enough,” he said.
The World Heritage Committee will announce its decision in June.
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