Tasmania’s natural assets have extraordinary value in their own right and are the fundamental resource underpinning our clean, green image and future economic direction.

The Tasmanian Greens are committed to the best possible protection for our outstanding temperate wilderness, our ancient forests, rivers and lakes, superb landscapes and coastlines, archaeological treasures, stunning beauty, cultural assets, wealth of wildlife, biodiversity and geodiversity.

We have been instrumental in developing and extending Tasmania’s National Parks, World Heritage and reserved lands against counter-pressure from vested interests and their political allies. 

Tasmania still has unprotected wild places of high conservation and heritage value, including significant marine areas, and the Greens are committed to securing the protection of these areas.  It is vital for this generation to create a management system which provides enduring protection in the interests of nature itself, and in the interests of all future generations.

Our reserves have been created primarily for ecological reasons but, with sensitive management, they will be an enduring economic asset.  A major threat to the integrity of our reserves and wilderness is attrition of natural values through encroaching development.  The Greens will stop further degradation and erosion of our natural heritage by private resort development inside reserves, and by other activity that damages its value.

We recognise the rights of the land’s traditional owners and continue to support initiatives that facilitate Aboriginal involvement in the ownership and management of protected areas.

Enjoyment of our wild places is an important principle in maintaining and increasing the value inherent in these places; however, the creation of reserves does not absolve society from the obligation to manage all other land and waters on an ecologically sustainable basis.

Measures

Specific Areas: continue to develop a world class system of National Parks and reserved lands buffered from external threats; extend protection to the TWWHA  (identified by Dept Parks & Wildlife, 1990), the proposed Tarkine National Park, the proposed Bay of Fires National Park, unlogged forest in the proposed Styx National Park, the proposed Great Western Tiers National Park, the proposed North-East Highlands National Park & Blue Tier Nature Recreation Area, proposed extensions to Ben Lomond National Park, reserves at Leven Canyon & Black Bluff, the Tasman National Park, proposed new reserves in the Eastern Tiers, unlogged areas at Reedy Marsh, N.E. Peninsula of Recherche Bay, Ralphs Bay, areas of Bruny Island, the Gog Range, the Dazzler Range, Mt Arthur, Weilangta, the Florentine and the remnant blackwood forests of the North West

Reserves:  ensure that all wilderness areas, high conservation value forests, threatened communities, habitats and landscapes (including karst) are adequately protected in the reserve system at a bioregional level;  include representative samples of all ecological communities where possible;  create comprehensive new marine reserves which include no-take zones; enable all recognised marine bioregions of Tasmania to have representative and adequate protection, utilising the Tasmanian Marine Protected Areas Strategy and recognising the bioregions currently unrepresented;  increase resources for the management of reserves and employ additional on-ground staff, including rangers; create a Marine Reserves management unit, including rangers

World Heritage: incorporate all areas with identified world heritage values within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, particularly parts of the southern forests including the middle Weld Valley, the Tarkine, the Great Western Tiers, Sorell Peninsula, Reynolds Falls, Wanderer River, Granite Tor, Counsel River, Styx Valley and the Tyndall Range

Restoration:  incorporate the concept of restoration into management planning so that degraded areas which can be feasibly restored to a natural state are identified and rehabilitated, creating sustainable employment opportunities

Management: prioritise protection of natural and cultural values; ensure high quality visitor interpretation facilities and infrastructure; complete management plans for all reserves and redress the weakening of conservation priorities and decision-making oversight in the WHA Management plan; address the impact of feral and invasive species

Development:  ensure that development within National Parks and World Heritage focuses on interpretation facilities, nature education facilities and eco-tourism opportunities rather than resorts, large-scale accommodation facilities and insensitive building and infrastructure; support accommodation in nearby townships or in areas adjacent to reserves to protect park values and the visitor experience; ensure that tourism interpretation explains, and is sympathetic to, the natural and cultural values of protected areas;  institute appropriate training of tour guides in the explanation of ecological values