Tasmanian government releases 4WD track management plan, as Aboriginal groups flag legal fight
A decade-long fight over four-wheel-driving in areas of Tasmania's north-west rich in Aboriginal cultural sites may not be over, despite the government releasing a new management strategy.
The day after the strategy was released, members of the Aboriginal community spoke out in opposition and called for more consultation.
In the run up to the 2014 election the Liberals — who have been in government since that election — promised to reopen three off-road tracks in the Arthur Pieman Conservation Area (APCA).
The tracks had been closed by the previous government amid concerns for several cultural sites, which included middens and burial grounds.
The closures prompted protests at Smithton and fierce statewide debate before a Federal Court ruling in 2016 found in favour of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre that the area had an "outstanding heritage value to the nation".
Five years later, in 2021, an Aboriginal heritage report found cultural sites could not be adequately preserved if the tracks were reopened, and the government backed down.
The government then embarked on the development of the West Coast Off-Road Vehicle Strategy, which Parks Minister Nick Duigan now says will help sustainably manage existing four-wheel-drive tracks in the area "while ensuring natural and cultural values are respected and protected".
Mr Duigan said the strategy would be rolled out over the next three years, and featured plans to upgrade tracks and mitigate damage to cultural and environmental values, improve camping facilities, directional signage and interpretive information.
The Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) website breaks down the plan over the next three years, beginning with work on the Balfour and Sandy Cape tracks and facilities and including Aboriginal heritage assessment in the area.
In the second year the PWS plans to expand the work to the wider West Coast and collaborate with Tasmanian Aboriginal people to identify and protect heritage sites near existing tracks.
In the third year the plan is to introduce a driver pass system to the wider west coast, improve information services, develop marketing material and support tourism experiences.
Mr Duigan said investments would be made in capital infrastructure to allow the PWS to implement the strategy over the coming years.
The strategy follows a draft version, which was published in May 2024 ahead of a two-month public comment period, which received more than 180 submissions.
In a statement for the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania and Cape Barren Aboriginal Association, spokesperson Michael Mansell said the strategy had its priorities "back to front".
"Instead of focusing on protecting Aboriginal heritage, the report emphasises improving access to 4WD," Mr Mansell said.
"The focus of government action should be protection of Aboriginal cultural context on the west coast and access proposals should only be considered in that context."
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre chief executive, Heather Sculthorpe, said her organisation had not been involved in the development of the strategy.
She said she was concerned the government may attempt to reopen the closed tracks, but the strategy report says it "does not contemplate opening new tracks or reopening previously closed tracks".
Submissions were made during the draft strategy's public comment period by other Tasmanian Aboriginal groups, including by Rochelle Godwin from the Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation (CHAC).
In her submission, Ms Godwin said CHAC failed "to see actionable or tangible outcomes" throughout the draft strategy to ensure the views of Tasmanian Aboriginal people were represented in the strategy.
She said there was no detail in the draft about how protection of Aboriginal heritage would be achieved.
"CHAC believe that protection can be achieved through mutual respect and education of cultural values," Ms Godwin said.
"For this to have effect, it needs to be reiterated and encouraged at many points along the coastline."
Her call for education was echoed by Lyndon Kettle, president of the Devonport 4WD Club.
Mr Kettle said he supported ongoing access to off-road tracks in the region but also believes the Aboriginal cultural history in the area must be protected, and that visitors should be better educated.
He supported a suggestion by Ms Godwin that anyone seeking a permit to access the area be required to watch a short film about Aboriginal history and culture in the APCA and wider west coast.
He said he had come across rock carvings and other historic sites in the area that should be protected and signposted to educate others.
Ms Sculthorpe said the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre would be willing to continue the fight.
"We'll be looking at all our options, that's for sure," she said.
Mr Mansell said the groups were willing to take the matter to court again, just as they did after the 2014 election.
Mr Duigan said consultation with stakeholders, including Tasmanian Aboriginal people, would continue during the implementation of the strategy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Dural caravan inquiry committee explore arrest warrants for NSW staffers over failure to give evidence
Five New South Wales government staffers face possible arrest warrants after defying a summons and not appearing before an Upper House inquiry into the Sydney Dural caravan plot. The five staffers asked to be excused from Friday's hearing in a letter, after being summonsed to give evidence about what and when the state government knew about the plot, after the caravan was found laden with explosives in January amid a spate of antisemitic vandalism. The ABC understands the committee will go to the president of the Legislative Council Ben Franklin to ask if he could request arrest warrants in the NSW Supreme Court. NSW Premier Minns had flagged the staffers — some of who worked for him — would not give evidence on Thursday, calling the inquiry into what the state government did or did not know about the alleged plot a "star chamber". At the state parliament's Macquarie Room on Friday morning, committee members waited to see if the five staffers would turn up, with their empty chairs carefully labelled. Inquiry chair and independent MP Rod Roberts said he was disappointed the witnesses had not turned up, describing it as a "very serious matter" and saying further action will be considered. "I am disappointed in the government's continued efforts to hinder and frustrate the work of this committee and ultimately the role of the legislative council to scrutinise the actions of government." Mr Roberts concluded the hearing with a short statement about the intention behind the staffers being summonsed to appear. "This committee was established to determine whether members of parliament debated and passed hate speech and protest laws through parliament based on misleading or incomplete information." During the committee, Mr Roberts revealed a letter dated June 19 undersigned by staffers and asking to be excused from appearing was received on Thursday. In the letter, the staffers said their giving evidence before the select committee would "be at odds with the principles of ministerial accountability and comity between the House of Parliament". The letter also stated that a separate parliamentary inquiry could also consider the compulsion of ministerial staff to give evidence, suggesting it infringed parliamentary privileged "or otherwise offends principles of our Westminster system of government". The letter ends with the request to be excused from the hearing. Mr Roberts told the hearing he objected to the arguments made in the letter. "It is a fundamental role of the Upper House to hold the government of the day to account." Before concluding the hearing, Mr Roberts said the witnesses scheduled to appear had failed to comply with the summons. The committee is believed to be considering its next step.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Lunch Wrap: ASX dragged down by sinking China steel and flying missiles
ASX falls as China steel sinks miners Iran hits Israeli labs with cluster bombs Oil jumps then eases on Trump's comments The ASX was down 0.55% at around lunch time in the east on Friday, and you can't blame Wall Street for this one. The Yanks were out celebrating Juneteenth with the markets shut. But Europe was wide awake, and the headlines coming out of the Middle East were enough to wipe the smile off any trader's face. Iran is apparently lobbing missiles with cluster bombs into Israeli suburbs. These things burst mid-air and scatter mini-bombs over a wide area, with one landing in someone's backyard in Azor. Tehran also targeted Israel's scientific crown jewel, the Weizmann Institute of Science. Years of research in life sciences and physics gone up in smoke. With that as the backdrop, Brent crude spiked as punters braced for a possible US strike on Iran. But then Trump walked it back a bit. His team now reckons there's a 'substantial chance' of negotiation, with a decision 'within two weeks'. Those comments took the edge off, with oil prices coming back down a tad. Elsewhere, the Bank of England kept rates on hold at 4.25% last night. Three policy members wanted a cut, and there's now a decent chance of a trim come August. Over in Russia, the Kremlin's economy minister just admitted the country's 'on the brink' of recession, pointing to weakening indicators. Not something you usually hear from Putin's camp. Back home, the ASX was already on the ropes before the opening bell thanks to China's steel numbers. Steel production slumped nearly 7% in May, way below expectations, and that sent our iron ore stocks tumbling once again. Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) fell 0.5% and Bluescope Steel (ASX:BSL) dropped 1% this morning. And, Web Travel Group (ASX:WEB) slipped 1.5%, though it wasn't all bad. Former Virgin Australia boss Paul Scurrah is joining the board alongside retail veteran Melanie Wilson from JB Hi-Fi and Oroton. This is where things stood at around 12:40pm, AEST: ASX SMALL CAP WINNERS Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks for June 20 : Security Description Last % Volume MktCap GMN Gold Mountain Ltd 0.002 50% 442,562 $5,619,759 JAV Javelin Minerals Ltd 0.003 50% 270,825 $12,252,298 PV1 Provaris Energy Ltd 0.014 40% 2,589,991 $6,980,013 RNX Renegade Exploration 0.004 33% 321,227 $3,865,090 BMO Bastion Minerals 0.002 27% 986,000 $1,419,960 CAZ Cazaly Resources 0.025 25% 3,014,837 $9,226,060 ALM Alma Metals Ltd 0.005 25% 707,408 $6,345,381 AOK Australian Oil. 0.003 25% 17,657 $2,003,566 AUK Aumake Limited 0.003 25% 176,755 $6,046,718 CR9 Corellares 0.003 25% 3,635 $2,011,213 EDE Eden Inv Ltd 0.003 25% 1,150,129 $8,219,762 FIN FIN Resources Ltd 0.005 25% 100,000 $2,779,554 FLC Fluence Corporation 0.045 25% 1,830,658 $39,071,613 GGE Grand Gulf Energy 0.003 25% 1,458,526 $5,640,850 MEM Memphasys Ltd 0.005 25% 1,004,099 $7,934,392 SRJ SRJ Technologies 0.005 25% 113,950 $2,422,312 ALR Altairminerals 0.003 20% 312,349 $10,741,860 BLU Blue Energy Limited 0.006 20% 3,122,353 $9,254,868 BGE Bridgesaaslimited 0.014 17% 61,111 $2,398,310 NAE New Age Exploration 0.004 17% 50,877 $8,117,734 W2V Way2Vatltd 0.007 17% 500,000 $10,196,818 E79 E79Goldmineslimited 0.023 15% 473,530 $3,168,253 MCA Murray Cod Aust Ltd 1.000 15% 59,465 $92,023,850 BPH BPH Energy Ltd 0.008 14% 625,500 $8,527,630 MPR Mpower Group Limited 0.008 14% 70,398 $2,405,923 Provaris Energy (ASX:PV1) has signed an MOU with global shipping heavyweight 'K' LINE to help commercialise its hydrogen transport vessels, the H2Neo and H2Leo. The tie-up gives Provaris access to technical and commercial know-how as it pushes into Europe, where demand for hydrogen is set to boom. The two will spend the next 12 months working on ship development, cost models and possible commercial deals. It also supports Provaris' supply chain plans in Norway and its earlier hydrogen delivery deals with German utilities. Compressed hydrogen is gaining traction as a cheap, scalable way to ship gas across short marine distances. Bastion Minerals (ASX:BMO) has appointed John Ribbons as its new company secretary, following the resignation of Justin Clyne. Ribbons will take on the role alongside his CFO duties, bringing over 25 years of experience in governance, compliance, and the resources game. The company says the move will streamline operations and save costs. ASX SMALL CAP LOSERS Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks for June 20 : Code Name Price % Change Volume Market Cap ADD Adavale Resource Ltd 0.001 -50% 61,313 $4,574,558 BP8 Bph Global Ltd 0.001 -50% 3,216,693 $2,101,969 BCB Bowen Coal Limited 0.195 -44% 1,764,116 $37,715,145 RPG Raptis Group Limited 0.090 -44% 298,705 $56,109,577 BEL Bentley Capital Ltd 0.008 -33% 7,851 $913,535 PKO Peako Limited 0.002 -33% 925,298 $4,463,226 RLC Reedy Lagoon Corp. 0.001 -33% 135,000 $1,165,060 SHP South Harz Potash 0.002 -33% 310,000 $3,308,186 EEL Enrg Elements Ltd 0.002 -25% 532,818 $6,507,557 WEC White Energy Company 0.035 -20% 133 $13,711,276 ATX Amplia Therapeutics 0.195 -17% 20,968,141 $91,168,877 AMS Atomos 0.005 -17% 58,076 $7,290,111 DRE Dreadnought Resources 0.010 -17% 43,202,725 $60,954,000 ECT Env Clean Tech Ltd. 0.003 -17% 5,705,686 $12,020,306 3PL 3P Learning Ltd 0.560 -16% 34,796 $182,847,370 ADR Adherium Ltd 0.006 -14% 100,000 $5,307,296 AS2 Askarimetalslimited 0.006 -14% 400,000 $2,829,195 ASP Aspermont Limited 0.006 -14% 350,000 $17,312,314 AXI Axiom Properties 0.030 -14% 30,000 $15,144,978 AYT Austin Metals Ltd 0.003 -14% 100,000 $5,509,670 EV1 Evolutionenergy 0.012 -14% 1 $5,077,107 M24 Mamba Exploration 0.012 -14% 30,000 $4,132,319 IR1 Irismetals 0.100 -13% 6,342 $19,832,829 ODY Odyssey Gold Ltd 0.020 -13% 2,769,548 $20,674,036 BNR Bulletin Res Ltd 0.054 -13% 107,527 $18,204,026 Bowen Coking Coal (ASX:BCB) collapsed 45% after warning it might have to pause its flagship Burton Mine. BCB said coal prices are in the gutter, and Queensland's royalty regime is, in Bowen's words, flat-out 'unsustainable'. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT QMines (ASX:QML) is in the final stages of acquiring the Mount Mackenzie gold-silver project after completing due diligence. Anson Resources (ASX:ASN) has built a static and dynamic Petrel model for its Green River lithium project in Utah that will help determine the location, design and depth of extraction and disposal wells. Western Gold Resources (ASX:WGR) is transitioning from explorer to producer after inking a binding milling agreement to fast track the Gold Duke mine.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
South Australia shaken by jobs challenges and Premier Peter Malinauskas must be at top of his game
South Australia's foundations are being shaken by global and natural forces, with tempestuous times ahead. In a tumultuous past fortnight, bedrocks of the state economy, employing thousands of people, have been plunged into doubt. Santos, the state's biggest company by far, is the target of an almost $30bn takeover bid by an Abu Dhabi raider, casting great uncertainty over the future of its Adelaide head office. The $368bn nuclear-powered submarine project centred on Adelaide is under threat from a 30-day United States review assessing its alignment with President Donald Trump's America First agenda. Despite some heartening rain, the drought continues to ravage the state's farms – SA primary industries generate $17.1bn annually. State debt was forecast to soar to $48.495bn in the state budget unveiled on June 5, after which the influential S & P Global Ratings warned big new spending ahead of next March's state election could trigger a credit rating downgrade. The purse strings will continue to be tested by the Whyalla steelworks and mine, as the budget set aside $384m in state and federal funds for a potential six-month extension of the state-induced administration. The Malinauskas government might have repeatedly ruled out an ownership stake in Whyalla's steelworks but a $2.4bn state/federal rescue package leaves both on the hook until a new owner is found. Public sector unions are restless. The SA Salaried Medical Officers Association on Thursday rejected a 10 per cent pay rise over three years and recommitted to walking off the job on Wednesday. These are extraordinary and foundational challenges, of varying degrees of concern, to the state economy and, most particularly, the potential for today's aspirational young South Australians to find well-paid, challenging jobs. The risk of Santos's head office leaving Adelaide should not be dismissed lightly. A foreign takeover, as my colleague Giuseppe Tauriello observed on Wednesday, would significantly diminish the last corporate heavyweight left standing in South Australia. Santos dwarfs other SA companies for jobs, investment, sponsorship and general corporate clout. It is four times the size of the state's second biggest firm, Argo Investments, and more than eight times the size of third-ranking Codan. Business success matters in a state where the population is overwhelmingly concentrated in the capital, and most jobs are underpinned by state and federal government spending of some form. Santos and partner Beach Energy in January officially opened a nation-leading Moomba carbon storage project, billed as kickstarting a $600bn industry and hailed by Premier Peter Malinauskas as a 'historic day for our state'. Mr Malinauskas responded to the Santos takeover bid by declaring his government's 'priority at all times is to ensure that South Australian jobs remain in South Australia, and to maintain Santos' headquarters in Adelaide'. This will be a test of his government's mettle and resolve, along with its legislative levers that include ministerial approval for a change in controlling interest of a petroleum resources licence holder, like Santos. Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia, in his Tuesday budget reply speech, predictably painted a bleak picture of a state ravaged by debt, skyrocketing costs, unaffordable homes and a floundering health care system. Nine months out from the next state election, he vowed to deliver a 'debt management plan' to ensure this was at 'a sustainable level'. Mr Tarzia declared the state was 'at a crossroads'. He was right, although the future is always uncertain. Mr Malinauskas has a strong story to tell on economic confidence, a historically low jobless rate and the state's standing in the nation. But he will be justifiably wary of overconfidence ahead of the state election, even if his opponents are at a historically low ebb in their standing. The state is facing some serious challenges and the Premier will need to be at the top of his game.
