Tasmania has given top-level assurances to the Abbott government that it won’t log inside its Wilderness World Heritage Area without agreement from UNESCO. Source: The Australian
The state government has vowed to pursue harvesting of certain species of trees inside parts of the 1.58 million hectare area, despite UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in July demanding Australia ban logging across the entire property.
According to the Weekend Australian federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt has received expert advice from the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council that the harvesting poses a “significant” threat to the property’s world-recognised values.
“Logging of forests for speciality or other timbers will significantly affect world heritage values,” the independent statutory body has advised Mr Hunt, who is responsible for protecting the area.
Mr Hunt has been working behind the scenes to break the impasse and is determined to avoid any outcome that would risk the Tasmanian wilderness being declared by UNESCO as “in danger”.
The Weekend Australian has learned that as a result the Hodgman Liberal government has given high-level assurances that it will not undertake harvesting without the World Heritage Committee’s agreement.
This was confirmed by a state government spokesman.
“Of course the government won’t flout the World Heritage Committee’s decision,” he said.
A delegation from the committee will visit Tasmania later this year and the state — backed by sections of the special timber industry and the state Labor opposition — hopes to persuade its members to allow limited harvesting.
Backers of the plan say it is necessary to ensure a sustainable supply of certain timbers, such as celery top pine, king billy pine, myrtle and sassafras, for boat and furniture makers.
The National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council advice, as well as warning against logging, says Tasmania’s plans to allow tourism infrastructure and aircraft landings in the heart of the wilderness area are “inconsistent” with the property’s values.
Mr Hunt would not comment on the detail of discussions but suggested an agreed position between the World Heritage Committee and the Tasmanian government was possible.
“I am … confident that (they) … will work constructively on a long-term plan which will be acceptable to both parties and which will enhance the forests, maintain its universal values and rightly uphold its status,” he said.
However, advisory council member and indigenous heritage consultant Hank Horton said Mr Hunt should not permit any harvesting, given that Aboriginal sites may be affected.
“We can never see logging being an acceptable activity within the WHA and it certainly can never be done in a sustainable manner,” Mr Horton said.
The Wilderness Society demanded Mr Hunt follow the council’s advice and put an – immediate end to the threat of logging.
“There is no such thing as sustainable logging of old-growth rainforest timber — it is a mining operation — and that is the scientific advice,” said society campaign director Vica Bayley.
The World Heritage Committee decision calls on Australia “to ensure that commercial logging and mining are not permitted within the entire property”.
