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| Lake Judd of Mount Eliza, part of the Tasmania Wilderness World Heritage Site. Photographed by JJ Harrison. |
The Tasmanian state government has announced its plans to open its world heritage designated region to specialized logging, aircraft landing sites, and commercial tourism such as cruises. In the plan, a key term, “wilderness,” is exchanged with “natural area.” “Wilderness zones” is also replaced by “remote recreation zones.” The state government claims that “wilderness” is a highly controversial term for Aboriginal people. However, given that some Aboriginal leaders prefer “wilderness" because of its link to the pre-Industrial conditions of Tasmania, this argument seems shaky, at best. For reference, the wilderness area concerned in the plan is one-fifth of the state. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1982 and is known for its pristine forests, lakes and mountains, which feature incredible ecological diversity.
Conservationists were outraged when this draft management plan was submitted to the federal government for review. However, it does not seem like there is much to worry about. The federal environmental minister Greg Hunt has vowed that there would be “no compromise” of the site’s world heritage values. Tasmania’s Environmental Defender Office has announced that, after review of all relevant legislation, they believe that each proposal must be approved by Hunt. So even while Tasmania’s state government may not want to protect this cherished World Heritage Site, the federal government will ensure that the “wilderness” of Tasmania will not be exploited.
References
- http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jan/15/tasmania-plans-to-open-wilderness-world-heritage-area-to-logging-and-tourism
- http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/wilderness-lost-as-tasmania-opens-world-heritage-area-for-new-growth/story-e6frgczx-1227185171221
- http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/wilderness-world-heritage-area-will-be-protected-says-greg-hunt/story-e6frgczx-1227187597998
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-18/greg-hunt-says-no-compromise-on-world-heritage-areas-tasmania/6023480
Interesting article. On the surface, I might not have thought twice about the difference between "wilderness" and "natural area". But as I begin to dive deeper into the environmental, cultural, and political history of Tasmania, I can sense the difference in magnitude between these words. There is culture embedded within words. And one set of culture is represented by an umbrella of government and business interests; the other by environmental interests. I don’t know which side I favor yet, and I’m curious to see where our exploration of Tasmania will lead us.
ReplyDeleteThe article speaks to the trade-offs between protecting the rights of the native people and the pressure to commercialize. The guardian published a follow-up article to this. The article says that the Aborignal corporation was not consulted and was not even allowed permission to see the draft plan.
ReplyDeleteThe article speaks to the trade-offs between protecting the rights of the native people and the pressure to commercialize. The guardian published a follow-up article to this. The article says that the Aborignal corporation was not consulted and was not even allowed permission to see the draft plan.
ReplyDeleteMost of conservation conversations (hah) seem to be focused on preserving protected lands, but after watching the clearfelling videos from Jory's presentation, I wonder if it'll be possible to expand the protection of nature even more in Tasmania, and whether or not any politician is working on that.
ReplyDeleteMichelle