World Heritage Wilderness 30th Anniversary

[TerraMer]

Just wondering if there are any public events happening in December to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Franklin River?

[stepbystep]

Just wondering if there are any public events happening in December to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Franklin River?

They're planning a gig in the Tarkine I hear

[TerraMer]

Thanks stepbystep

Is there a good website to watch or newsletter to subscribe to for this kind of information?

[stepbystep]

Thanks stepbystep

Is there a good website to watch or newsletter to subscribe to for this kind of information?

Sorry you(and most) probably don't get my somewhat warped humour.
I was eluding to a big kerfuflle that's about to kick off in Tasmania with one side pushing for UNESCO listing of the Tarkine Wilderness as WHA and the government that's just approved new mining leases in the area.
The conservationists have promised "...a campaign as big as the Franklin campaign."

A beautiful area I'll be returning to on Friday

I did a quick search and didn't find any special events.

[TerraMer]

Haven't they been pushing for UNESCO listing for the Tarkine for years already? I remember signing petitions to protect it years ago.
I admit I was a bit confused by your post but understand you now.
Unfortunately the only joke is the pollie trying to authorise mining the Tarkine.
Not being familiar with the ethical demographics of/across Tasmania, is there a significant divide between conservationists and loggers/miners?

[stepbystep]

...is there a significant divide between conservationists and loggers/miners?

There's a significant divide between the various conservation groups and a seemingly impossible to bridge divide between the 'dark greens' and the timber industry.

Even bushwalkers can't get along on a lot of the forestry issues here viewtopic.php?f=10&t=10849

As for mining in the Tarkine... It's a very large area that surely can support some industry without stuffing the place up. There's already some mining there.

Tasmanians on all sides are getting pretty tired of the ongoing environmental battles.

[TerraMer]

What impact do you think extended mining will have on tourism and ecology in the short and long term?
Is this resource investment worth losses in other sectors?
I'm a blue/green conservationist but support smart development in zones that will not contribute further harm to natural habitat and preferably invest in rehabilitation of their own and inherent damage and involvement in protection of places and species of conservation interest.
Does Tasmania have the space to support expansion of the resource industry without encroaching on places of natural heritage value?
What is the value of tourism vs resources in Tasmania? Which one is more sustainable now and beyond the foreseeable future?

[stepbystep]

What impact do you think extended mining will have on tourism and ecology in the short and long term?
Is this resource investment worth losses in other sectors?
I'm a blue/green conservationist but support smart development in zones that will not contribute further harm to natural habitat and preferably invest in rehabilitation of their own and inherent damage and involvement in protection of places and species of conservation interest.
Does Tasmania have the space to support expansion of the resource industry without encroaching on places of natural heritage value?
What is the value of tourism vs resources in Tasmania? Which one is more sustainable now and beyond the foreseeable future?

A lot of variables there TerraMer and I'm in position to know. I doubt the impact would be great or noticable to tourists. The area actually gets very little tourists now and there is very little infrastructure.
The Tarkine is a vast and varied landscape that surely has potention for development and investment in both industries. The Rebecca Creek mine as proposed has raised my eyebrows as I recently spent a full day at Rebecca Lagoon filming birdlife, hundreds of them, highly recommend people spend some time there. I'd hate to see the waterway contaminated, not that I know whether it would or not...

[gayet]

I'll state clearly that I haven't studied the proposal for the Rebecca Creek mine,but....

It is proposed as an open cut mine. The damage to the site of the actual cut is irreparable. The damage from the infrastructure - roads, over burden dumps, etc is only marginally less irreparable. Impacts on water flow are severe, on water tables on surrounding areas etc. Dust can be a major problem and this can affect an area much larger than the proposed mine site. I spent too long in an area of Aus destroyed by open cut mines to believe that any open cut mine will have minimal impact on the surrounds, or that the land can be restored and rehabilitated. A 50 hectare cattle farm is the the area I seem to recall being quoted as the impact zone. But the impacts flow down all water courses, drift along prevailing air currents and nothing will ever change the hole in the ground to anything other than a possibly filled in hole in the ground.

Yes, I understand the benefits of $80m to the state, the benefits of 120 jobs for a period of time, but I question the value over the longer term when the result is a degraded environment, damaged ecosystem and visual eyesore for perhaps centuries.

Yes there are other mines in the Tarkine and there have been others before them. That doesn't mean the degradation should continue.

[TerraMer]

filming birdlife, hundreds of them, highly recommend people spend some time there.

Not on topic anymore but are there guided bird watching tours/treks in Tassie?

[stepbystep]

No idea, maybe....

[PeterJ]

Not on topic anymore but are there guided bird watching tours/treks in Tassie?

There is on South Bruny. Cloudy Bay area

[Binder]

I've heard whispers, but I will chase it up tomorrow with the WHA crew in Hobart on Monday.

Cheers

[north-north-west]

Just wondering if there are any public events happening in December to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Franklin River?

I thought it was older than that . . .