Submission

A review of the tenure of all land other than national parks within the TWWHA is long overdue. National park should be the default tenure for a World Heritage Area.

A Biosecurity Strategy for the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is under development. We hope that it will direct some much needed attention and resources onto biosecurity, which has been seriously neglected in recent years.

The population and range of wild fallow deer in Tasmania is expanding. These feral animals are an increasing risk to some parks and reserves. The Wild Fallow Deer Management Plan must prescribe and provide for the eradication of deer from conservation reserves.

Fire is perhaps the greatest challenge for the management of the TWWHA, particularly in the context of a changing climate. A fire management plan is being prepared. We comment on the the various PWS fire issue discussion papers released in September 2020.

The TNPA agrees that the foothills of kunanyi provide a popular and valued resource for local mountain bike riders but their interests should not be considered in isolation from kunanyi’s high natural and cultural values, including a long history of recreational use by walkers.

Most of the proposals are supported but they implement only selected components of a package of related recommendations – all infrastructure based – while PWS shows no sign of acknowledging or addressing the crucial other component of recreation management – managing visitor numbers.

Funded by a State government election promise, Waterfall Valley is the first of several overnight nodes on the Overland Track being redeveloped. The RAA documentation fails to encompass the full breadth of changes proposed or desirable for this iconic site.

The previous draft of the Freycinet Master Plan (2018) contained many issues of concern and the revised (2019) version remains completely tourism-focussed and unacceptable.

Establishing that the proposed development of a helicopter-based luxury tourism development at Lake Malbena is “in accordance” with the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Management Plan 2016 is central to its assessment against the requirements of the Central Highlands Planning Scheme.

The TNPA would be unlikely to support further expansion of visitor facilities into currently undisturbed areas; i.e. if visitor numbers continue to increase, an alternative approach is likely to be needed.