Jacquie Petrusma,Minister for Parks
It's my pleasure today to announce the Tasmanian Liberal Government's intention to expand the beautiful Mole Creek Karst National Park to deliver better protection of the area's unique limestone cave systems.
The expansion of the Mole Creek Kast National Park will occur through the reservation of an additional 2,850 hectares of land currently classified as Future Potential Production Forest land, and includes land known as Solomons Dome, which contains the catchment of the internationally significant Kubla Khan Cave.
The inclusion of these parcels of FPPF land will expand and consolidate what is currently a fragmented National Park, improving the natural values, protection and management efficiency within Mole Creek Kast National Park.
This process has involved significant public consultation, natural values assessments and a substantial body of work by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment.
In addition, we are proposing that a further 22,550 hectares of FPPF land in the TWWHA be formally reserved as either conservation area, or regional reserve in accordance with the assessment of their natural values.
As many of these areas display evidence of past land use practices, reserving the remaining areas of FPPF Crown land as either conservation area or regional reserve is consistent with the requirements of the Nature Conservation Act 2002 and the management objectives for the TWWHA and will ensure these areas are appropriately protected.
Importantly, this proposal does not preclude the involvement of Tasmanian Aboriginal people in land management nor does it create additional barriers to land return in the future.
This proposal delivers on our commitment to reserve FPPF land within the TWWHA, and is a significant contribution to the Tasmanian Reserve Estate under the Nature Conservation Act 2002. Once reserved, the land will be managed in accordance with the TWWHA Management Plan.
The proposal will now go through the required statutory processes, including the approval of both Houses of Parliament.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government will continue to ensure that our special natural places are protected and presented in ways that allow people of all abilities to enjoy the natural and cultural values they contain.
