Senate to enquire into Tasmanian World Heritage Area

The Greens have established a Senate inquiry into the Abbott government's moves to reduce the size of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area to access forests to log.

The inquiry will report by 15 May 2014 and submissions can be sent directly to the Senate committee: [email protected]

These are the terms of reference:

That the following matters be referred to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by 15 May 2014:

(a) the natural world heritage values of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area minor boundary extension passed by the World Heritage Committee in June 2013;

(b) the interaction between the Department of the Environment and the Prime Minister and other ministers’ offices, and the process followed in the department’s review of the 2013 extension that led to a lesser minor boundary extension being submitted for consideration at the 2014 World Heritage Committee meeting;

(c) any action the Department of Environment has funded, directed and overseen to rehabilitate any degraded areas within the World Heritage Area identified in the department’s 2013 review, as per the requirements of the World Heritage Convention;

(d) the extent and description of any areas of degraded forest included in the 2013 boundary adjustment and the World Heritage Committee’s rationale for including them;

(e) implications for the World Heritage status of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area of the Government’s request to withdraw the 74 000 hectares for logging; and

(f) any related matter.