This is not an Eco-Disneyland

LAKE MALBENA DEVELOPMENT

BRAVO, Bob Brown (Talking Point, Mercury, April 19). Tasmanians have cherished and respected their wilderness areas long before this island became the flavour of the month. The Hodgman Government seems hellbent on bending over backwards to please developers out to make a quick buck at the expense of what makes Tasmania what it is — or perhaps, was.

Why is a Wilderness Heritage Area being rezoned to a “self reliant recreational area”? It was zoned wilderness heritage for a reason — to protect it from the rampages of inappropriate use.

It is distressing to witness this island transforming into some sort of pseudoEco Disneyland.

Consult

LAKE Malbena and other places in Tasmania are unexplored territories in which luxury cabins and helicopters are disturbing. Tourists can be led to places one wants them to go and Dr Brown’s list of 12 alternative places are worth considering. The Government’s conscience can be clear by mediating with Dr Brown and taking his advice. Future generations will be thankful if there is land and a nest egg in times to come.

Strange silence

I NOTE references in the Mercury and elsewhere about an application to establish a tourism angling venture on Halls Island, Lake Malbena. Some years ago at the behest of then premier Jim Bacon and Tourism Tasmania, I was involved in evaluating helicopter angling trips in the World Heritage Area. Despite my personal concerns about such a venture, I researched the possibilities with Tourism Tasmania on behalf of the Tasmanian Trout Guides Association, although many members at that time also shared my doubts. The project quickly became public and I was subject to a tirade of abuse, verbal and written from other anglers and vehement disapproval from Green MPs. So what is happening now? Not a word from the angling populace, not even from the North-West who were the most vociferous in their objections. The proponent of this venture already conducts angling tours close to the WHA boundaries so the new application appears to be stealthy encroachment into the sanctity of our pristine areas. I am a keen angler but do not support helicopter flights into our wilderness under any circumstances, particularly when it appears the proponent sees an opportunity to virtually privatise an island in a world heritage lake. Am I the only angler who rejects helicopter fishing, which in New Zealand has proved to be an anathema?

Selling the farm

THERE was a time when I was a swinging voter. That was until I read Bob Brown’s Talking Point article about the creeping desecration of our remote wilderness via private development with the active encouragement and underhand support of the Hodgman Government.

This is not economics at work. There’s little return to Tasmania in selling pristine A new way to have your say themercury.com.au readers have a new way to have their say. It’s free to use, just register and have your say. For more details and to register, visit the website. wilderness, the perception of which makes us attractive for long-term tourism. This is ideology of the worst sort and hidden under the guise of spurious mandate.

Under immediate threat are iconic locations around the Walls of Jerusalem National Park and the Western Lakes, all part of the world heritage.

I’m retired now but over many years I’ve explored these unspoilt places, traversed them on skis and by kayak, and have shared experiences with family and friends and with, literally, hundreds of people — children, students, teachers, parents, overseas and mainland visitors.

Why? There are very few places in Tasmania, or the world, where you can get away, off-track in beautiful, remote and not-too-demanding terrain, but somewhere you need to be self-reliant. You come across gems which few have seen, and I have delighted sharing these with companions.

You’d have to talk to them, (and there’s many of them) after a six-day trip from Ada Lagoon through the Western Lakes to Lake St Clair to get the sense of achievement, confidence and contentment derived from this experience, and the feeling of personal ownership.

Lake Malbena, mentioned in Bob’s article, is halfway through this expedition. The Aboriginal sites are well hidden and should not be a selling-point for casual visitors.

The Hodgman Government seems hell-bent on pawning our wilderness heritage to private ownership.

I have no problem with anyone making a sensitive effort to share our wilderness but helicopters and high-end FIFOs?

Look in the mirror

THE Government should review the planning changes contributing to the housing affordability crisis and the marketbased planning reform process of which they are a part. These reforms undermine the potential for careful, equitable and locally sensitive governance of land use.

Hats off

CONGRATULATIONS on the recent promotion of Amanda Ducker and Kirsty Eade at the Mercury. Over the past few years (even in our digital world), the editorial direction of our local paper is of vast improvement in quality and quantity. A well deserved achievement. Hats off to the team!

Bank tampering

IT looks as though our big four banks and the AMP have been busily sandpapering customer accounts for many years. This has taken the shine off banks and resulted in an unfortunate reverse swing of ethical behaviour.

Live exports

THE cruelty, economic stupidity and obsequiousness of live export is due to the insistence of Muslim countries. Marie Archer’s ire (Letters, April 21) is well founded.