Libs’ Tarkine tongue-lashing

TASMANIA’S Aboriginal community has accused Premier and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Will Hodgman of a “betrayal of reconciliation” in a new advertising campaign designed to make protecting the state’s Tarkine region an election issue.

The ad campaign — a collaboration between the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and the Wilderness Society — is spoken in the local Aboriginal language, palawa kani.

It attacks the Premier for failing to defend the National Heritage-listed takayna/ Tarkine coast and allowing access to 4WD tracks that were closed in 2012 because vehicles were damaging Aboriginal heritage sites.

TAC chief executive Heather Sculthorpe said Mr Hodgman had pledged to “reset the relationship” with Aboriginal people but instead “his most defining policy on Aboriginal issues” is to expand the 4WD tracks — including a plan to lay “interlocking plastic matting” over middens so recreational vehicles can drive over them.

“Premier Hodgman’s reset relationship has involved ignoring Aboriginal opinions and pushing ahead with this destructive plan, to the point where we were forced to go to the Federal Court to defend our heritage,” Ms Sculthorpe said.

“Destroying Aboriginal heritage on the takayna coast is an attack on Tasmania’s history and the Premier stands condemned for his failure of leadership.

“Using our language to defend our heritage from a premier prepared to put politics ahead of people is a powerful new tool that makes us very proud and we expect it to resonate with wider Tasmania.”

A government spokesman said the Liberals intended to deliver on the “commitment at the last election to provide access to (the Tarkine) for all Tasmanians”.

“The Government has substantially delivered on its commitment to reset the relationship. This includes changing government policy to provide a more inclusive definition of Aboriginality, as well as adding Aboriginal history to the school curriculum.”