THE Tasmanian government has ruled out mining within the state’s World Heritage Areas, but is pushing on with plans to allow some logging. UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has again criticised the government’s draft plan to open up the state’s wild places to more tourism, logging and mining. The committee renewed calls for a blanket ban on commercial logging and mining within the wilderness area. ‘‘Mineral exploration and exploitation is incompatible with World Heritage status,’’ the committee warned from Germany on Tuesday night. Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff yesterday said there had been no mining in the area to date, and insisted this would not change. ‘‘There will be no mining in our World Heritage Areas,’’ Mr Rockliff said. ‘‘It has never been on the agenda.’’ Environmentalist Bob Brown claimed there would be a ‘‘huge ruckus’’ if mining were allowed. ‘‘The world would come down like a tonne of bricks on any state government that tried to log or mine in this wonderful area,’’ Mr Brown said. However, Mr Rockliff did leave the door open to speciality species timber harvesting, which is already allowed in some areas of the TWWHA. Instead, Mr Rockliff insisted there would be no ‘‘large-scale’’ logging. The World Heritage Committee also called for strict criteria around new tourism developments. Its plea for high standards was backed by the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania, which supports about six proposals for small-scale developments within the area. ‘‘If you read UNESCO’s submission and you look at the values of UNESCO, they see tourism as critically important to the World Heritage Area,’’ TICT chief executive Luke Martin said. ‘‘If you’re an existing tourism operator, or an operator who wants to invest in the TWWHA, you want those high standards as well.’’ The World Heritage Committee also urged the government to work with the Aboriginal community to finish a long-awaited study of the area’s cultural attributes as soon as possible. UNESCO will meet with government representatives in Tasmania later this year.
THE Tasmanian government has ruled out mining within the state’s World Heritage Areas, but is pushing on with plans to allow some logging.
UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has again criticised the government’s draft plan to open up the state’s wild places to more tourism, logging and mining.
The committee renewed calls for a blanket ban on commercial logging and mining within the wilderness area.
‘‘Mineral exploration and exploitation is incompatible with World Heritage status,’’ the committee warned from Germany on Tuesday night.
Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff yesterday said there had been no mining in the area to date, and insisted this would not change.
‘‘There will be no mining in our World Heritage Areas,’’ Mr Rockliff said.
‘‘It has never been on the agenda.’’
Environmentalist Bob Brown claimed there would be a ‘‘huge ruckus’’ if mining were allowed.
‘‘The world would come down like a tonne of bricks on any state government that tried to log or mine in this wonderful area,’’ Mr Brown said.
However, Mr Rockliff did leave the door open to speciality species timber harvesting, which is already allowed in some areas of the TWWHA.
Instead, Mr Rockliff insisted there would be no ‘‘large-scale’’ logging.
The World Heritage Committee also called for strict criteria around new tourism developments.
Its plea for high standards was backed by the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania, which supports about six proposals for small-scale developments within the area.
‘‘If you read UNESCO’s submission and you look at the values of UNESCO, they see tourism as critically important to the World Heritage Area,’’ TICT chief executive Luke Martin said.
‘‘If you’re an existing tourism operator, or an operator who wants to invest in the TWWHA, you want those high standards as well.’’
The World Heritage Committee also urged the government to work with the Aboriginal community to finish a long-awaited study of the area’s cultural attributes as soon as possible.
UNESCO will meet with government representatives in Tasmania later this year.
