Despite failing to fulfil his lease requirements, Daniell Hackett of Wild Drake has applied for another extension to his exclusive lease over Halls Island, at Lake Malbena in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The Liberal Government must not approve the extension request and return this special wild place to all.
As is a condition of the exclusive lease, the proponent was required to have EPBC and Council DA approvals for the project in place by March 31. He failed, and will come nowhere near close to attaining either in the foreseeable future.
The proponent has failed to get his proposed luxury helicopter tourism venture in the middle of the World Heritage Area off the ground for twelve years. His company is in liquidation, and he owes thousands of dollars to the government for failing to pay this very leases’ fees.
But astoundingly, he’s applying for another extension of his lease. At this point, it’s beyond a joke.
Again and again the proponent has proved he shouldn’t be trusted to look after this land or the heritage-listed Halls Hut which has been neglected and needs urgent maintenance. The proponent was transferred the lease from the Hall family, with the agreement that the hut be looked after, and that Halls Island was to be freely open to all who sought its wonder and refuge. He broke that trust from day one.
The Aboriginal community, bush walkers, fly-fishers have long been strongly opposed to this environmentally destructive project. In the last week, the daughter of Reg Hall and independents and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers representative have joined calls for the Acting Minister to end the exclusive lease and return Halls Island to those who value it.
The lease and any variation to it is signed by the Minister for Parks, and with a clear paper trail showing the proponent failed to provide the Federal Environment Department with sufficient assessment material for the proposal, there is beyond reasonable grounds to cancel the lease. These public lands in the Wilderness World Heritage Area should be open for all to use, not degraded for private, luxury tourism.
Every day the Liberals renew this lease to the proponent for, they are actively facilitating the neglect of a heritage listed asset. How do they justify this degradation to the generations of Tasmanians that are lining up to take the proper care of this place, to restore its integrity and open it back up to all people?
The Acting Minister for Parks needs to be honest with Tasmanians. Is she going to extend the lease over Halls Island? And if so, why?
