Secret report urges consideration of social impacts of tourism proposals in wilderness earlier than approvals

A document kept secret by the Tasmanian government has urged the state’s Ministry of the Environment to assess the social impact of planned developments in wilderness tourism before giving the green light to new projects.

Important points:

• A report commissioned by Tasmania’s Environment Department was presented to the government in September last year
• She has asked the state to assess the social impact of tourism proposals in protected areas before giving the green light to new projects
• The report could call into question approvals for existing controversial projects

The final draft of the Tourism Master Plan for the World Heritage Site of the Tasmanian Wilderness (TWWHA) – seen from the ABC – was printed by ERA Planning last September but has yet to be published.

The report’s authors made a number of suggestions to the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment on how to better manage tourism in the state’s protected wilderness. Some of these could call into question already approved projects.

Recommendations include calling for the development of a policy for access to aircraft as a “high priority” and urging that the potential social impact of a project be included in any cost-benefit analysis.

Tourist facilities at Cradle Mountain National Park in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site have recently been upgraded. (

ABC News: Ros Lehman

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“When it is felt that the social costs of tourism outweigh the benefits, a local community can become frustrated and dissatisfied with tourism and express this through relationships with tourism,” the report said.

“Social costs can be managed to minimize the impact of tourism so that they do not conflict with the local community and ultimately make a positive contribution to the social fabric of a destination.

“An important consideration in understanding the social impact is that for many Tasmanians an important part of life is recreating, maintaining, and enjoying the TWWHA.”

The state government has been overseeing a controversial policy known as the expression of interest process since 2014.

It enables private investors and tourism companies to submit unsolicited suggestions for things to do in Tasmania’s national parks and reserves.

Daniel Hackett and his wife run a fly fishing business on remote Lake Malbena. (

ABC News: Emily Baker

)Earlier this year, the ABC announced that only about half of the proposals it submitted had ever been made public.

One of the first developments to give the green light in the context of politics was a proposal to provide helicopter access to Halls Island on Lake Malbena within the walls of Jerusalem National Park.

The project was rejected by Aboriginal groups, the Australian Heritage Council, bushwalkers and fishermen, but received approval after approval by the state government.

“Air travel is an important issue for park managers in many well-known and internationally significant locations around the world and, if not managed, can pose a significant risk to a location’s values ​​and visitor experience,” stated the Tourism Master Plan for the TWWHA document.

“The proliferation and potential harm of aircraft used in the TWWHA could undermine the brand and value proposition of the TWWHA and its (Outstanding Universal Values). Community concern about air access, particularly via helicopters, was a major issue in the initial deployment process. “”

Leatherwood trees in Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Site are a valuable resource for beekeepers. (

ABC News: Lauren Waldhuter

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The report also emphasized the need for the state’s Aboriginal people to be more involved in decisions and developments in the TWWHA.

“It is important to recognize that Tasmania’s Aboriginal people are not considered ‘visitors’ as they are the traditional owners of the land,” the report said.

“For Tasmanian bushwalkers and other Tasmanian recreational athletes who regularly join the TWWHA, as well as Tasmanians with historical connections to the TWWHA, their connection to the area is also deeper, more complex and broader than that of a ‘visitor’.”

According to the document, the master plan will be used as a “strategic decision document” for the park and wildlife service and will help evaluate future projects.

The report found that tourism in World Heritage sites “can have undesirable effects on regional communities”.

AAP: Rob Blakers

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The report emphasized that there was potential for “further sustainable” tourism in the TWWHA, but later stated “… it recognizes that tourism can have undesirable effects on regional communities” and encourages environmental bureaucrats to take into account the cumulative effects of projects.

“This can happen when support for infrastructure and services does not meet demand, or when the scale of tourism activity is no longer compatible with local social values, or when tourism affects affordability and accessibility for residents,” it said Report.

On the east coast of Tasmania Glamorgan Spring Bay Council was forced to put up signs warning against swimming in certain streams due to concerns about fecal contamination.

The tourism master plan was first applied for by UNESCO in 2015, announced in 2018 and is to be published in 2019.

In response, a government spokesman said, “The report was examined by the previous minister’s office, but this process was not completed until the election was scheduled and the government became the caretaker. Now that the new government is sworn in, this will be the case . ” Checked by the new minister and released shortly. “