World Heritage Committee Supports Concerns

World Heritage Committee Supports Concerns about Impacts of Logging on World Heritage Values in Tasmania.

The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO has backed concerns about the impacts of logging on World Heritage values in Tasmania, and after politely noting the reassurances of the Australian Government the Committee has decided to send a high-level mission of international experts to assess the ongoing damage and threats.
The Australian Government has also been urged by the Committee to consider extending the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage area to include adjacent forests that are threatened by logging.

“The World Heritage Committee has validated our concerns about the destruction of old-growth forests in valleys such as The Weld and Florentine,” said Geoff Law, Tasmanian campaign coordinator for The Wilderness Society. “Indeed, the Weld Valley was explicitly mentioned.”

“The Committee is concerned about the risk of escaped forestry burn-offs and has asked for a risk management plan and for logging operations to be distanced from the boundaries of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage area.”

The calls came as part of the proceedings of the World Heritage Committee at its 31st Meeting, occurring in Christchurch, New Zealand, this week. The decision is referred to as 31 COM 7B.43.

“The Australian Government can now be under no illusion that the destruction of forests in Western Tasmania is of international concern,” Mr Law said.

“The Australian Government should respond to this wake-up call by immediately ceasing all logging and roading operations in forests identified as having World Heritage values.”

“This is the most important event for the protection of Tasmania’s wilderness since the Federal-State Forestry Agreement of May 2005.”

ENDS

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