& ASTEALA = Bob Brown Australian Greens Senator for Tasmania “Australian Senate Envion rere » @ RECEIVED * 02 nov 201 q & 220 «is Forster for, 28 October 2011 Ro, The Hon Tony Burke MP Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Ha Parliament House He Canberra ACT 2600 Fax: 02 62736101 Dear Minister ‘Thank you again for the meeting on the 18 October 2011 at which we discussed the options for an extension to the\Tasmanian Wildemess World Heritage Area \ (TWWHA). As discussed, [believe the current Commonwealth-Tasmania Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) presents an excellent opportunity to submit proposals for extending the TWWHA to the World Heritage Committee. As you are aware, Clause 29 of the IGA canvases ‘nomination of appropriate areas for inclusion in the TWWHA‘. As I said at the meeting, a World Heritage extension to the TWWHA should occur in two stages: Stage 1. A ‘minor modification’ to the TWWHA The World Heritage operational guidelines (clause 163) say that a ‘minor modification’ is one which does not have a significant impact on the extent of the property or affect its outstanding universal values. [ note that, in February 2010, the Government flagged its intention to modify the boundary of the TWWHA through inclusion of 23,873 ha of adjacent reserves.' Such a move satisfies one of the World Heritage Committee's requests of July 2008,? but not the accompanying request to consider extension of the TWWHA to ‘include appropriate areas of tall-eucalypt * page 4, Section 1.2; State Party Report on the State of Conservation of the TWWHA (Australia); Australian Government, February 2020. * page 77, Section 3(b)}; Decision 32 COM 78.41, World Heritage Committee, 2-10 July 2008, Quebec GPO Box 404, Hobart TAS 7001 * Phone: Parliament Hause. Canherra ACT 46 224 2999 + Freecall 1300 133 251 (TAS only) 977 3170 © Fax: 02 6277 3185 » Emait senatorbob.brown@iaph.eov.au_* forest’ and ‘appropriate cultural sites reflecting the wider context of Aboriginal land- use practices’ > To satisfy the concerns of IUCN and the World Heritage Committee in this regard, it is necessary to extend the TWWHA to incorporate the tall-eucalypt forests along the northern and eastern boundaries in valleys such as the Styx, Florentine, Weld and upper Derwent, as well as the Aboriginal caves and rock art of the Florentine and Huon valleys and the Great Western Tiers. Such an extension would not alter the official outstanding universal values of the TWWHA, which include ‘the world’s tallest flowering forests’, ‘awe-inspiring forests of truly exceptional beauty’, and the ancient cultural heritage of the Tasmanian Aboriginal people’; indeed, it would greatly enhance the integrity of these assets. If such a minor boundary modification were submitted to the World Heritage Committee by 1 February 2012, it could be assessed and (assuming the Committee sees fit) added to the TWWHA by July of next year. Given the wealth of documented World Heritage values in the above valleys, the Commonwealth Government could begin work on a minor modification right away. Stage 2. A significant extension to the TWWHA. The attached proposal ~ Western Tasmania: A Place of Outstanding Universal Value ~ documents the World Heritage values of wilderness areas outside the TWWHA, including places such as the Tarkine, the Southwest Conservation Area south of Macquarie Harbour, the Tyndall Range, Reynolds Falls and Mt Dundas. These wild landscapes exemplify the recognised World Heritage values of Western Tasmania. They include Australia’s greatest temperate rainforests, our most glaciated mountains, one of the world’s wildest coastlines, rare and threatened species, and Aboriginal heritage. The extension occupies over 800,000 ha, with additional small tracts proposed as buffer zones. As most of the work identifying and documenting these values has already been done, I believe the Commonwealth Government should commence preparation of a re-nomination of a significantly extended TWWHA as soon as the minor boundary modification is completed. We would appreciate a meeting with yourself and the World Heritage Unit to talk through the proposal in greater detail as soon as possible. We understand that the West verification process under the Intergovernmental Agreement is running behind * Page 78, Section 5; ibid “ appendix 3, State Party Report on the State of Conservation of the TWWHA (Australia; Australian Government, February 2010.schedule so it is important that this section of the proposed informal reserve is prioritised in time for a February 2012 notification to the World Heritage committee. Please find attached an indicative map of the area which could be considered under Stage 1. Yours sincerely a Senator Bob Brown Christine Milne Leader Australian Greens Deputy Leader Australian GreensProposed minor modification to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) Note Crook Karst} Deloraine , (Dove River} 7 Great Westom Tlers = Huon - Picton “Geevestor’ " he THA Proposed TWWHA Minor Moaiiestions -_ MM Furmer Areas of Formal Resene ‘Areas of Stas Free! Ie Aras of yaro-iecic Commission and | Areas of pvatetond reserve ME 022 of Sate Foret proposed ae rehabltason butler zones