Ms BADGER (Lyons) – Honourable Speaker, I thank Mrs Beswick for bringing on this motion. It is incredibly important and I am always proud, having grown up on the north‑west coast, to stand up and talk about how extraordinary it is there. Tourism is essential to Tasmanian industry and the economy, and particularly in the north west there is so much untapped potential we can build on.
We have seen over the last couple of years how much new life tourism has given to the region through events like The Unconformity on the west coast. The fact this event is held in the shoulder season of the traditional tourism season brings visitors into the area at times they otherwise might not have been there. Wynyard has the Tulip Festival, which has just passed for this year. I have seen how much that festival has grown in my lifetime, how many more people are coming from right around the world to be part of it, and I am certain it is only going to continue to go from strength to strength. We also have niche festivals like the Tasmanian Craft Fair in Deloraine, which brings people from all around and showcases some of the very best of not just what the north west of Tasmania has, but the entirety of Tasmania.
What we have not spoken about enough is future proofing our tourism industry after COVID. We saw how vulnerable it is and that we need to make changes. We have seen other destinations around the world look at some new models. We hear a lot about regenerative tourism. It is a shame to hear that is classed as a buzzword here in Tasmania because there is a lot of potential there. The north‑west coast could play a pivotal role in regenerative tourism, regenerative agriculture, agri‑tourism. There is enormous opportunity there.
However, where there is the most opportunity is in the Tarkine. It is a global gem, it has outstanding universal value. It is something we have been talking about in Tasmania for a very long time. That debate about takayna and its natural values always seem to end up in some kind of war of conservationists versus industry. It does not have to be that way. This would be an enormous asset to north‑west Tasmania if we could have the proper nuanced debate that area deserves. I am going to move the motion now, then I can stay here and speak to that motion.
The SPEAKER – You want to amend the motion?
Ms BADGER – Yes. I am just going to value-add, as we should do in all good tourism ventures. I move –
That the motion be amended by inserting the following clauses after Clause 8:
(9) Calls on the government to:
- work toward establishing a takayna/Tarkine World Heritage-listed national park with indigenous ownership within this term of government.
(b) Fund the proposed trans‑Tarkine track in the 2025‑26 budget.
The SPEAKER – Have you got copies to circulate to members?
Ms BADGER – They all have them.
The SPEAKER – Your time starts again. You have 30 more minutes of your allocation, but this debate does finish at 6.14 p.m., and Mrs Beswick will obviously want an opportunity to respond.
Ms BADGER – I am conscious there are other tremendous members for Braddon that want to speak as well.
On the first part of the amendment: creating a takayna/Tarkine National Park is not just about recognising the natural and cultural significance of the area, it also makes economic sense. We know how much Tasmanians and those visiting our state love to immerse themselves in our national parks. The latest Parks data on visitors to selected parks and reserves show that visitation was up 4 per cent last year alone to 1.42 million visitors.
Back in 2008, there was an extraordinary report done by the Cradle Coast Authority, Tarkine Tasmania: Tarkine Tourism Development Strategy. Credit where credit is due, I believe this was done at the time when Roger Jaensch was heading up the Cradle Coast Authority as well. It is a great report about the holistic values of the Tarkine. I want to point out the projected modelling for the yield of promoting that area as a holistic destination, not just specifically as a national park. It says:
Modelling suggests that by 2017, the Tarkine has the capacity to generate $58.2 million in tourism spending per annum and support approximately 1100 jobs.
Those coming specifically to see the natural values of the area – as it was called then, the ‘nature enthusiast segment’, would generate $22.3 million. For comparison with Tourism Tasmania’s figures, in 2017 there was a $2.26 billion spend from tourists holistic into the state, and in this last financial year it was $3.48 billion. On the projections from 2008, tourism projections for the economy did come true. If you look at what it is worth now, we are missing out on a huge amount of money that we could have with more concentration in the Tarkine.
That is incredibly important for regional and rural towns around that area in the north‑west. When the Spirits finally get here, we will absolutely be seeing more people coming here, which is why we need to make sure they have more things to do in the north‑west, particularly in the nature space that we know is so popular, to make sure that they stay and spend their money in that regional area to help prop up that economy and create new jobs.
Then there are the environmental values of having that area properly protected. I would like to read a quote from Forestry Tasmania at that time. This is about the destination as a whole, not just specifically the national park, to be clear. It says:
Forestry Tasmania agrees that the Tarkine’s unique mix of rainforest, river and coastal wilderness, outstanding cultural heritage and proximity to established icons like Cradle Mountain, Strahan and Stanley could see the project develop into Australia’s premier nature‑based travel destination.
That is absolutely still the case and I hope that industry would still support it.
When we are talking about this national park proposal, to be clear, before anyone gets concerned, the boundaries are not precluding any of the currently operational mining sites. Specifically for Mr Garland, I would like to read something very special from this report:
The Tarkine was or is the last known habitat of the Tasmanian tiger and now provides a sanctuary for endangered Tasmanian devils.
That was in 2008.
The SPEAKER – I am seeing a bit of a tiger theme happening in these conversations.
Ms BADGER – It must be the last week in parliament.
To the second part of the motion, it talks about the trans‑Tarkine trail. This is an incredible walking track and it should be the next iconic walking track in Tasmania. It has a social licence. It goes through some extraordinary vegetation that we can share with everybody from right around the world. It has a lot of nooks and sections that are far more accessible for a variety of people than the Tyndalls; it is supported by Tasmania’s Aboriginal community; and, most importantly, it is not going to impact on sensitive sub‑alpine vegetation in the way that some of the other proposals will. I hope all members will see that it is beyond time, given that this report came out in 2008, that we seriously tapped into the potential that is takayna/Tarkine.
