The 1999 & draft 2014 management plans – a stark contrast
The 1999 Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Management Plan was much-lauded and developed with wide consultation; it was not perfect but a good compromise.
The 2014 draft Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Management Plan was extremely regressive, with protection of the area’s values taking a back seat to the relaxation of controls on tourism developments and a disregard for the wilderness character of the area that was so fundamental to the campaigns which led to its creation.
A subsequent public campaign resulted in more than 7000 submissions, the vast majority opposed to the plan’s proposals, as well as a visit from a UNESCO/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission. While improved, the final 2016 TWWHA Management Plan still contains many failings and deficiencies which will be the subject on ongoing campaigns (see here)
Development of 2016 management plan
- UNESCO-ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission Report re Tasmanian Wilderness 2015
- Tasmanian Planning Commission review of PWS Director’s Report on 2014 draft TWWHA management plan representations
- PWS Directors Report re submissions on 2014 draft TWWHA Management Plan
- Environment NGO groups’ letter to Planning Commission re 2014 draft TWWHA plan Directors Report
- TNPA submission re draft 2014 TWWHA Management Plan
- Media Briefing Kit prepared by environment NGOs re draft 2014 TWWHA Management Plan
- TNPA critique of draft 2014 TWWHA Management Plan
- Key problems with the 2014 draft TWWHA Management Plan vs 1999 Plan
- Draft TWWHA Management Plan 2014
- Requirements for development assessment in the TWWHA
- The role of management plans, with respect to the TWWHA plan
- Tourism industry influence on TWWHA management 2013-2015
- Proposed government de-listing of parts of TWWHA 2013-2014
- TNPA submission to Senate Environment Standing Committee re TWWHA 2014
1999 management plan & associated issues
- TWWHA Management Plan 1999 This now-superceded plan was widely lauded and, while not perfect, took a far better approach to (for example) development assessment and wilderness management than the current 2016 management plan.
- Development of the 1999 TWWHA Management Plan
- An award-winning plan – the 1999 TWWHA Management Plan
- Submission re review of TWWHA Management Plan 2007
Early TNPA positions re tourist development proposals
Arthur Range, Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Photo: Grant Dixon
“… the Southwest Tasmanian wilderness is exceptional in size, quality and diversity in the Australian context and in the temperate regions of the world. As such it is of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science and conservation. The specific features of world heritage value which it contains only serve to enhance its value as an item of world heritage.”