MEDIA RELEASE11 January 2006

VANDALISM OF ROCK ART CONDEMNED

Wilderness Society Calls for Off-Road-Vehicle Ban on Tarkine Coast

The Wilderness Society has condemned the malicious vandalism of Aboriginal rock-art on the Tarkine Coast and called for a ban on off-road vehicles in the area.

“This disgusting vandalism would not have occurred if the Tasmanian Government had been properly managing the Tarkine,” said Wilderness Society campaigner Geoff Law.

Mr Law called for the following steps to be undertaken as a matter of urgency:
•Upgrading reserves in the Tarkine to the equivalent of national-park status, but with strong Aboriginal input into management;
•Increasing resources for management, supervision and law-enforcement in the area;
•Increasing resources to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community to assist in on-the-ground supervision;
•Banning four-wheel-drives, quad-bikes, trail bikes and other off-road vehicles on the sensitive Tarkine Coast.

“Off-road vehicles have been damaging middens and sand dunes along that fragile coastline for years,” Mr Law said. “This is the last straw. It’s time for the Government to get tough.”

“Responsible users of four-wheel-drives should dob in anyone they suspect of involvement in this malicious crime.”