It is too early to talk about a proposal for a guided walk and huts for southwest Tasmania, Aboriginal organizations say.
Key points:
- The South Coast track “has only been opened to a relatively elite group” of experienced and self-sufficient hikers, Right to Information documents said.
- Other documents from an archaeologist say much of the area where huts would be erected has never been studied for Aboriginal heritage.
- The state’s Aboriginal Heritage Act is under review and the elders said any proposal in areas with Aboriginal heritage sites should be suspended until the new law comes into force.
Experience Co is moving forward with a proposed seven-day, six-night guided walk with catering, which would include the construction of six walker huts from Cox Bight to South Cape Bay on the South Coast Track (SCT) within Tasmania. . World Heritage Wilderness Area (TWWHA)
This is an area with sites of “immense importance” to Tasmanian aborigines, according to an archaeologist who reviewed the proposal.
A draft assessment of the activity of the reserve prepared as part of the original proposal and published under the law on the right to information (RTI), said that the track of the south coast “had only been open to a relatively elite group of “experienced and self-sufficient walkers.
“The proposal aims to make the SCT accessible [to] those many hikers with the desire to experience the magnificent TWWHA desert, but who are less able to carry the heavy backpack that independent hikers require, ”the document says.
Hikers on the 85km south coast trail must be self-employed, but a guided hike proposal would include accommodation and catering. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
Other documents obtained by the ABC under RTI legislation included a letter from archaeologist Samuel Dix about the area’s Aboriginal heritage sites.
“These places are of immense importance to the Aboriginal community,” Dix wrote.
“Due to the nature of the proposed works, much of the area where the developer wants to establish new tracks and erect barracks has never been surveyed for Aboriginal heritage.
“Due to the number of places registered so far, the likelihood of more rock art sites and the strong cultural ties with the area (including the traditional histories and ethnographic accounts of those who originally lived in the area), a Aboriginal heritage research It is therefore necessary to identify whether the proposed project or related infrastructure will have an impact on any Aboriginal heritage and to offer advice on mitigation. “
It is unclear what subsequent work has been done.
A guided walk with catering and private cabins has been proposed for the South Coast Track between Melaleuca and Cockle Creek. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
A spokeswoman for Experience Co said: “We recognize the importance of this project and respect the steps that need to be taken.
“We are committed to our ongoing discussions with Aboriginal communities and other key stakeholders in the area and understand that this takes time.
“We look forward to building relationships and working closely with all stakeholders as we move forward through this process.”
“Many obstacles to overcome”
The state’s Aboriginal Heritage Act is under review and an updated version is expected to be presented to Parliament next year.
Rodney Dillon, a board member of the Aboriginal Corporation of Southeast Tasmania, said any proposal in Aboriginal heritage areas should be suspended until the new law comes into force.
“While [the Act] anyway, I’d be too scared to give the author something like that, “Dillon said.
Dillon said more work needs to be done before the South Coast Track proposal is considered. (ABC News: Loretta Lohberger)
He said the current law does not protect heritage sites and, with the potential for many more unknown sites, “we have a lot of obstacles to overcome before we even talk about a clue.”
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Lands Council also wants to wait for new legislation.
Dillon said the South Coast Trail route should also be changed because some parts were very close to major heritage sites.
“The track on the south coast will have to be changed to get away from our places … We are quite scared to think that these people can go there,” he said.
The Needwonnee Walk in Melaleuca near the start of the South Coast Track features aboriginal cultural values. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
“We’re talking about public land”
Tasmanian Greens do not support the government’s program to call for proposals for the development of national parks, and Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the party had several concerns over the proposed South Coast runway. .
“We are talking about public land here, we are talking about an area that has the deepest cultural significance for Tasmanian Aborigines, and we know that UNESCO has told the Tasmanian government not to allow further developments in the World Heritage area. until they have carried out a comprehensive cultural assessment, “Ms O’Connor said.
“This work has not been done but the tenants are queuing up.”
Ms O’Connor said Aboriginal heritage in southwest Tasmania “requires the highest level of respect”. (ABC News: Loretta Lohberger)
Ms O’Connor said Southwest Tasmania had one of the “most significant and valued Aboriginal cultural heritages in the country”.
“This requires the highest level of respect. It requires the Tasmanian government to prioritize the protection of this heritage and demands transparency.”
Parks Minister Jacquie Petrusma did not comment on whether proposals such as the guided walk along the South Coast Trail should be suspended until the new Aboriginal Heritage Act comes into force, but said such proposals were subject to approval processes.
“If they don’t have the necessary permits for Tasmanian Aboriginal Heritage, development will not happen,” Ms Petrusma said.
Mrs. Petrusma said developments such as the South Coast Track proposal should receive permits from Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
A government spokeswoman said a “significant commitment to Tasmanian Aborigines” was needed as part of the process.
He said the Parks and Wildlife Service had not received the final documentation from Experience Co. and therefore “is not currently evaluating any of the promoter’s concepts in relation to the south coast trail.”
In its 2021 report on the state of conservation of World Heritage properties, UNESCO welcomed “the progress of the Detailed Plan for a Comprehensive Cultural Assessment”, but that it is of great importance to conclude this process. before any further development (e.g. tourism). development) takes place on the property “.
Ms Petrusma said the federal government had asked for clarification on what that meant.
“UNESCO is really saying what they want [is] to be notified [of] it’s about the main uses and developments, ”he said.
“No [that] all development had to be stopped. “
A government spokeswoman later added that the Department of Natural Resources and Environment had begun work in 2018 on the plan called for by UNESCO, which was to be completed in 2028.
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