Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Ludwig looks after agricultural matters. I represent Environment on behalf of Minister Burke, so I am happy to take the question. I thank the senator for her question. Today the 37th World Heritage Committee, at its meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, accepted the Australian government proposal to add more than 170,000 hectares to the World Heritage List protecting forest areas in the Upper Florentine and areas within the Styx, Huon, Picton and Counsel River Valleys. This decision means some of Tasmania's most spectacular and precious areas of native forest have been given the highest level of environmental protection. There are many sites of deep cultural significance within the World Heritage boundary.

The Australian government is continuing its consultation with Indigenous communities in Tasmania to ensure these cultural values are considered at a future meeting of the World Heritage Committee. Work has begun on a study of the outstanding universal cultural values of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, including those areas within the new boundary. This extension to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area means areas of exceptional beauty, particularly its majestic stands of tall eucalypt forest, glacial landforms and alpine and subalpine environments are now afforded the highest level of protection. The boundary extension will significantly enhance the wet eucalypt forests within the property and will enhance the connection between its tall eucalypt forest and the rainforest. Additional important habitat for rare and threatened species such as the endangered wedge-tailed eagle and the Tasmanian devil are also included in the boundary extension. The great western tiers— (Time expired)