A state heritage nomination for Halls Island, the site of a proposed tourism development rejected at a Central Highlands council meeting last week, could impact an appeal of that decision or any further development application.
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Should the statutory body tasked with making the decision find the site met one of the criteria for registration, this could even occur before the nomination process is wholly carried out, according to an environmental and planning lawyer.
Nicole Sommer, chief executive and principal lawyer with the Environmental Defenders Office Tasmania, said there was now a process for the Heritage Council to follow under the Historic Cultural Heritage Act.
"If the Heritage Council considers the place to meet one of the registration criteria, it has powers to provisionally list the place as a heritage place," Ms Sommer added.
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"If that power was exercised it may then require heritage assessment for any future development application and may be relevant to any appeal before [the Resource Management and Planning Tribunal]."
A challenge of the decision to not assess the proposal under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act will go before the Federal Court later this month. The EDO are acting for The Wilderness Society in the case.
In a statement on Saturday, the proponent Daniel Hackett set they were yet to see any details of the application which was "disappointing" considering they were custodians of both the private hut and the oral history.
He noted over the past four years they had worked with the late-country historian Simon Cubit and specialists from QVMAG to catalogue important historical artefacts, culminating in a major donation to the museum.
Mr Hackett also questioned the motivation for the historian Dr David Young nominating the site, as he had not been to the island himself.
Dr Young told The Examiner Saturday this didn't preclude anybody making a nomination. In submitting the nomination, he said it was about acknowledging the history of the island and the hut - built by Reg Hall in the 1950s and used by anglers and bushwalkers since.
The site should "at least go through" the nomination process, Dr Young said.
More on the Halls Island tourism proposal
- Halls Island receives state heritage register nomination - March 9, 2019
- Four huts and $4500 for three nights: 'Premium' tourism plan for Halls Island in Lake Malbena put on public display - January 18, 2019
- Halls Island tourism proponents share first design vision, public access program - January 10, 2019
- Walls of Jerusalem rotor camp row in full flight at Launceston rally - October 28, 2018
A government spokesperson on Saturday confirmed a nomination had been received by the Heritage Council, with the initial assessment commenced.
The proposal came as part of the state government's expression of interest scheme for national parks, reserves, and Crown Lands.
Greens Leader Cassy O'Connor said the assessment needed to be undertaken without political pressure or interference.
"Therell be plenty of heritage buffs, bushwalkers, fly fishers and conservationists who are thankful to Dr David Young," Ms O'Connor said.
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