Junk for Code : Rock Island Bend--25 years on

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Rock Island Bend--25 years on « Previous | |Next »

July 1, 2008

I have posted this image of the Franklin River in South West Tasmania before in relation to wilderness photography in Tasmania. This time it is the poster used by the Wilderness Society in its successful political campaign to save the Franklin River from being damed by the Hydro Electric Commission.

Peter Dombrovskis, Rock Island Bend, Franklin River, Wilderness Society poster, 1979

Conservationists had previously lost a campaign in the early 1970s to prevent the powerful Hydro Electric Commission flooding Lake Pedder for a power scheme. On July 1, 1983 -- 25 years ago today -- the High Court ruled by a majority of one that the Hawke Government had the power to stop Tasmania building the dam. The Franklin continues to run wild. It was an iconic victory.

The township of Strahan has boomed on the back of tourism to the south west corner of Tasmania showing that tourism is better way to make use of Tasmania's natural resources to ensure economic growth than the big industrial projects, such as Gunn's proposed pulp mill in the Tamar Valley. The Tamar Valley food, wine and tourism industries are more sustainable and valuable than the pulp mill that will pollute the air and estuary with its effluent.

Tasmania is not an industrial site, nor can it compete due to its isolation or remoteness. But remoteness is an advantage for wilderness tourism. Therein lies Tasmania's future.

| Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at 1:30 PM | Permalink

| Comments (5)

Comments

And what about tourism itself gary? Does not unmitigated tourism also pose a threat to the wilderness?
I'm not saying that there is unmitigated tourism at the moment but 'navigatable' wilderness is getting harder to tour so what is the tourism industry doing/can do to sustain itself as an industry?

Posted by: Dean | July 2, 2008 11:34 AM

Dean,
mass tourism is a problem in wilderness areas and it needs to be manaaged carefully.

I don't think that it is a problem in Strahan do you? Nor is food and wine tourism a problem in the Tamar Valley. Or do you think differently?

Is it a problem at Margaret River in WA?

Posted by: Pam | July 2, 2008 2:57 PM

Dean
I was in Strahan last year and I could see no problems. What do you have in mind re Tasmania?

Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson | July 2, 2008 7:10 PM

I was in Tas (and Strahan) a few years back and look forward to going again.
I wasn't particularly thinking of Strahan in commenting but places like Fraser Island, while not exactly wilderness, there has been a definite impact of tourism to this region.
In thinking on the concept of eco-tourism, holiday packages that reduce their "footprint" of facilities and guests is a good thing, though I would like to see more places step up and involve their guests in actual conservation activities. Much like Earthwatch's message that actively engaging people in the research/education will promote better understanding of environmental sustainability.
i feel that this would be of more benefit than accommodation that donates part of its fees or has an "environmentally friendly design" etc

Posted by: Dean | July 8, 2008 11:31 AM

Dean,
I agree about the heavy tourist footprint in fragile ecological regions (eg., Kangaroo Island in SA).

Involving tourists in conservation is a good idea--some would like to do it--eg., many of the international tourists that I meet when I toured Kangaroo Island last year.

Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson | July 10, 2008 9:37 PM