The recent trend towards allowing more developments in national parks could soon spread to Tasmania.
The state’s Liberal Opposition has announced it will open up the Apple Isle’s national parks and World Heritage areas to development, if it wins next month’s state election.
Liberal Leader Will Hodgman says proposals for sensible, low-impact eco-tourism developments would be sought from private investors and tourism operators and these would be fast-tracked through the planning process. The party says it is deliberately not specifying any area for development as it wants to encourage ideas.
While successful projects will be given an exclusive development licence, Mr Hodgman says the normal planning permits, including environmental approvals will still be required.
“This is one of our most competitive advantages – our natural beauty, our environmental assets,” he told Channel 7. “We should be using them sensibly, sustainably, into the long term, so we can create more jobs in this space.”
The party says it is part of a broader plan to create 8,000 tourism jobs by 2020.
The Premier, Lara Giddings, says the policy is unnecessary because tourism projects can already be developed in national parks.
“The fact is there is already development in national parks, you already have Cradle Mountain huts that have been built in beautiful World Heritage areas,” she said. “You have opportunities right now with development, as well, with our peninsula development, with our Three Capes track.”
Does it makes sense for Tasmania to seek to make more tourism dollars from its natural beauty spots or should wilderness remain just that? Comment below.
What a stupid idea. First thing to promote and get tourist there is to get the boat expenses down to a level that most can afford. This will bring in far more dollars and create more jobs rather than making the big business even richer. But I suppose you can’t expect anything different from a plotical party basically controlled by big business.
Agreed Bill Riches they need to get the ferry prices way down to make it more affordable to everyone, thus more tourism. We have been putting off our trip to Tassie because it costs us over $1000.00 each way. Instead we catch the plane when we want to see the kids but unfortunately then we are limited to travel…
If we don’t fight back we will lose it all. The reef now the forests. Multi millionares are running our country under this Government. March in March. We are not for sale