Emergency listing for Tarkine on National Heritage List

The Tarkine – Australia’s largest tract of cool temperate rain forest – has won emergency inclusion on the National Heritage List.

Federal Environment and Heritage Minister, Peter Garrett, has used emergency provisions under national environment law to include the Tarkine on the list. His decision follows a nomination for emergency listing in November by the Tarkine National Coalition.

The coalition submitted the nomination because the region may have National Heritage values and because of the potential impacts on those values by the proposed Tarkine Road.

The region is not officially listed on the National Heritage List, but is the subject of an ongoing assessment by the Australian Heritage Council which is due to be completed in 2010.

Mr Garrett says including the Tarkine in the National Heritage List does not prevent the Tarkine Road being built and does not amount to a decision on the road. He says it means potential impacts of the road on the National Heritage values of the area must now be formally considered along with other environmental impacts when he decides whether the road proposal requires assessment and approval under national environmental law.

Mr Garrett says he has listed the boundary nominated by the Tarkine National Coalition. He says while the region contains several areas where forestry operations are continuing, the decision has no impact on existing use, including forestry operations.