Ms O’CONNOR question to MINISTER for PARKS and HERITAGE, Mr DUIGAN
This question relates to the document Our Mountain’s Future Kunanyi – Mount Wellington and Wellington Park Action Plan. Minister, given that the Parks and Wildlife Service is the largest landowner in the park, with some 18,500 ha for which it is responsible, what role did you play in the development of this action plan? It’s also, however, a damning indictment, in many ways, of the Parks and Wildlife Service, which you manage, given that there are findings around a lack of coordination over land management and bushfire prevention. So, my first question is, given that you’re minister for Crown lands and Parks and Wildlife Services, the largest landowner in the park, what role did you play in the development of this action plan? And, is it your understanding that, should the trust be abolished and the managing authority set up, that the managing authority would become a single landowner and would that mean that the park was vested ultimately in the Crown?
ANSWER
I thank the member for the question and her interest in Mount Wellington/Kunanyi, our second‑most visited tourist attraction in Tasmania, receiving well beyond half a million visitors a year. And, of course, Wellington Park provides significant tourism and recreation opportunities, contains important natural and cultural values, and is an important source of drinking water for greater Hobart. The Tasmanian government, as indicated in the question, has completed a comprehensive strategic review of the mountain and the broader Wellington Park. In June last year, the community vision and supporting documents were released following an extensive public consultation phase, which received more than 9000 responses. The final report released yesterday, sets out a pathway to delivering on the vision and addresses concerns relating to land management, infrastructure, access, cultural experiences, fire management and overall visitor amenity. And each action is connected to the community’s aspiration as set out in the vision.
Ms O’Connor – Will you answer the question at a certain point?
Mr DUIGAN – The action plan we have released draws on consultation with the Wellington Park Management Trust –
Ms O’Connor – The one you’re going to abolish.
Mr DUIGAN – of which I have responsibility as minister for Parks, local councils, tourism stakeholders and fire management agencies. The key recommendation is to establish a new landowning managing authority –
Ms O’Connor – Point of order, Mr President.
Mr DUIGAN – to provide more effective –
Ms O’Connor – Point of order, Mr President. I asked the minister two quite specific questions. What we’re being read out is his ministerial brief and that’s fine, but this is information that’s already on the public record. I’m hoping you can direct him to answer the question.
Mr PRESIDENT – I cannot direct him to answer the question.
Ms O’Connor – I’m hoping you can propose he do.
Mr DUIGAN – The managing authority will include skills‑based appointments with appropriate expertise such as fire management, financial, natural values management, Aboriginal and tourism. The park will continue to have its own special governing legislation, and the management plan will remain the management and planning framework. This will ensure management is consistent and adapted to the diverse needs and values of the park.
The review found the current funding model is not sufficient to maintain infrastructure, manage risk and support future investment. It places a disproportionate burden on Hobart, Glenorchy and the state government. The new managing authority will have the authority it needs to implement a fairer funding model while maintaining access for all those who visit the park.
Ms O’Connor – Will you answer the questions?
Mr DUIGAN – I believe I have.
Ms O’Connor – Nope.
Ms O’CONNOR question to MINISTER for PARKS and HERITAGE, Mr DUIGAN
The minister has chosen to read out his brief and not answer the question, so I’ll re‑ask the questions until he answers them. Minister, what role did you have, as minister, in the development of this document, Our Mountain’s Future, which most of us can discern is a vehicle in significant part for the cable car? Can you confirm that should the Wellington Park Trust be abolished, which is the agenda within this document, and a managing authority be set up as a single landowner, that that managing authority would hold the land on behalf of the Crown?
ANSWER
Thanks, Mr President, just seeking advice.
Our Mountain’s Future was a piece of work overseen by the Office of the Coordinator‑General through minister Ellis’s office, so it was the lead agency.
In terms of the land management and the land sitting with the Crown, that would be, I think, my expectations, yes.
Ms O’CONNOR question to MINISTER for PARKS and HERITAGE, Mr DUIGAN
Last question for now on the mountain. I don’t know whether it matters whether it’s your expectation; it’s whether or not it’s a fact that it’s vested in the Crown. Are you able to provide to Council some information about Parks and Wildlife expenditure on land management inside the 18,500 hectares in the Wellington Park, given what we hear about the poor state of land management in the park; expenditure on bushfire prevention and other land management in the Wellington Park over the past year. I understand you may have to take that on notice, but we’re particularly interested and concerned about how much Parks has been spending on bushfire prevention in the park.
ANSWER
Thanks, Mr President, and I appreciate the question and would note that fire management in the park is a responsibility of Parks but also of the Tasmania Fire Service and other agencies, but I think we can probably take that question on notice.
