Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Minister Ludwig. Is the minister aware of the wonderful news which has just come through that UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has listed an extension to Tasmania's Wilderness World Heritage Area of some 170,000 hectares following 30 years of campaigning from conservationists in Tasmania and around the world to protect—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the state's tall forests? If so, can the minister tell me what undertaking did the government make to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee regarding further assessment of the area for its cultural values?

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

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I further ask the minister, given this very good news for Tasmania, what action will the minister take to ensure that the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is not opened to logging by any future state or federal government?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

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

The new boundary also adds to the representation of the glacial and other features in the World Heritage area, including landforms, which contain evidence of glacial movements millions of years ago along the Walls of Jerusalem and the central plateau. On 31 January 2013 Australia requested an extension of the boundary of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and this request, as we now know, has been accepted. As to the specific issue that Senator Milne raised, I am happy to take that on notice and see whether there is any further information that the minister can provide.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a second supplementary question. I would appreciate knowing what we are going to do to stop logging by any future state or federal governments. What actions will the government be taking to ensure that the integrity of the boundaries of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is not threatened by future federal governments?

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

The simple solution is to ensure the re-election of a Labor government, rather than those environmental vandals on that side, if you want to give genuine protection to this area. Those opposite have again started off by saying no; they have started off by opposing this. As you can see from the interjections of those opposite, they have no commitment whatsoever to this decision or to the maintenance and support of this decision. The Australian public should be under no illusion that the environmental and economic vandals on that side of the chamber have changed. They will continue to put the environment in Tasmania at risk, and every Australian should bear that in mind in the election in September.