ENVIRONMENT Minister Matthew Groom says he’s confident that his plan for the state’s wilderness areas is responsible, despite more than 10,000 people emailing objections to his federal counterpart. Mr Groom said anecdotal feedback on the state government’s World Heritage Area draft management plan was ‘‘very positive’’. The plan reclassifies wilderness areas as remote recreational zones to allow low-scale tourism ventures to be developed and greater access from the air and water. It also permits logging for speciality timbers, which Mr Groom has said is already allowed under current laws. The Australian Conservation Foundation has taken its opposition to the plan to federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt, with 10,663 of its supporters emailing him asking to protect it. An email sent to ACF supporters from former Tasmanian parks ranger Jess Abrahams calls on them to ‘‘harness the energy’’ they had when the federal government attempted to remove 76,000 hectares from the area last year. ‘‘It’s hard to believe that any government would try it again,’’ the email said. ‘‘But right now, the Tasmanian government has a disturbing new plan to allow logging and large-scale tourism in the heart of the Wilderness World Heritage area.’’ It calls on Mr Hunt to ‘‘keep his word and put a stop to exploiting Tassie’s World Heritage forests’’. Mr Groom said he was engaged in the consultation process, which closes on March 22. ‘‘I continue to be confident that the broad Tasmanian community want an approach which is open to sensible ideas that are respectful of natural and cultural values, and that’s what our draft management plan is about,’’ Mr Groom said.
ENVIRONMENT Minister Matthew Groom says he’s confident that his plan for the state’s wilderness areas is responsible, despite more than 10,000 people emailing objections to his federal counterpart.
Mr Groom said anecdotal feedback on the state government’s World Heritage Area draft management plan was ‘‘very positive’’.
The plan reclassifies wilderness areas as remote recreational zones to allow low-scale tourism ventures to be developed and greater access from the air and water.
It also permits logging for speciality timbers, which Mr Groom has said is already allowed under current laws.
The Australian Conservation Foundation has taken its opposition to the plan to federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt, with 10,663 of its supporters emailing him asking to protect it.
An email sent to ACF supporters from former Tasmanian parks ranger Jess Abrahams calls on them to ‘‘harness the energy’’ they had when the federal government attempted to remove 76,000 hectares from the area last year.
‘‘It’s hard to believe that any government would try it again,’’ the email said.
‘‘But right now, the Tasmanian government has a disturbing new plan to allow logging and large-scale tourism in the heart of the Wilderness World Heritage area.’’
It calls on Mr Hunt to ‘‘keep his word and put a stop to exploiting Tassie’s World Heritage forests’’.
Mr Groom said he was engaged in the consultation process, which closes on March 22.
‘‘I continue to be confident that the broad Tasmanian community want an approach which is open to sensible ideas that are respectful of natural and cultural values, and that’s what our draft management plan is about,’’ Mr Groom said.
