[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Progressive Tarkine Strategy Welcome_C O'Connor MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

PROGRESSIVE TARKINE TOURISM STRATEGY WELCOME

Forestry Tasmania Road is Clearly Incompatible

Cassy O'Connor MP
Greens Shadow Tourism Parks and Heritage spokesperson

Friday, 17 October 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed the release of the Cradle Coast
Authority's Tarkine Tourism Strategy, commending its advocacy for formal
recognition of the Tarkine region and the need for an authentic Tarkine
brand, as well as its focus on wilderness experience-focussed visitor
infrastructure.

Greens Shadow Tourism, Parks and Heritage spokesperson Cassy O'Connor MP
said the Strategy warns against ad-hoc development in the Tarkine.

"The release of the Cradle Coast Authority's final Tarkine Tourism
Strategy emphasises the need to maintain the rich environmental and
cultural integrity of the Tarkine in order to attract the target tourist
market prepared to pay for genuine high-quality wilderness experiences,"
Ms O'Connor said.

"I note that the controversial taxpayer-funded Forestry Tasmania road
through the region has been removed in this final report, which
vindicates recent calls for the government to scrap a proposal which is
clearly incompatible with the Cradle Coast Authority's vision for the
area."

"Recommendations for smarter investment in regional tourism
infrastructure based on the townships surrounding the Tarkine's
perimeter, including more walking tracks, mountain bike trails,
adventure sports, and a Cultural Interpretation Centre, would offer
better protection to the Tarkine brand and prove much more advantageous
to local economies than Forestry Tasmania's $23 million taxpayer-funded
road."

"Formal recognition of the Tarkine area, as recommended in the Strategy,
is a major breakthrough that is testimony to the decades of hard work by
locals and conservationists to provide the region with an iconic
identity, in the face of resistance from the pro-logging lobby who
refused to use the word 'Tarkine' until very recently."

"The Strategy's emphasis on how critical it is for there to be a "robust
and authentic" Tarkine tourism brand, is a vitally significant and
responsible step forward."

"This Tarkine Tourism Strategy acknowledges that the health and
viability of this spectacular area's environment and the local tourism
industry are inter-connected.  It provides thoughtful guidance for
increasing tourism potential without damaging the 'golden egg'."

"The Strategy warns of the dangers of ad hoc development, which
inevitably results in crisis management being required at some stage.
This warning must guide government, all land managers and investors in
the Tarkine."

"The Bartlett Government should actively support the Strategy's emphasis
on the need to maintain a high quality and genuine Tarkine Brand, and
ditch the incompatible Forestry Tasmania road," Ms O'Connor said.




Any opinions expressed in this e-mail are those of the individual and not necessarily the Parliament of Tasmania. This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient or person responsible for delivering to the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this e-mail in error and that any use is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, advise the sender immediately by using the reply facility in your e-mail software.


Warning: Computer viruses may be transmitted or downloaded onto any computer system via e-mail communication. It is the recipient's responsibility to take appropriate action to prevent computer viruses being transmitted In this way. Accordingly the Parliament of Tasmania disclaim all responsibility which arises directly or indirectly from such transmission of computer viruses.