+WildTasmania.org
[under gestation]
.
.
Chapter 1: Wild Tasmania
.
- Consider the concept , perceptions and scope of ‘Wild Tasmania’ as a state brand
-
- ‘Wild Tasmania’ could be a brand for best practice eco-tourism, a world leading centre for the earth sciences, a world leading centre for research, education, and complimentary commerce
- Tasmania’s inherent special wilderness features – ancient pristine forests, undeveloped coastline, wild rivers and waterways, rugged mountain ranges and gorges, unique and precious wildlife, purity – clean fresh air and water
- Model ‘Wild Tasmania’ on the positives of Switzerland, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Canada, Scotland.
.
.
Chapter 2: wildtasmania.org website purpose
.
Decide on core principles for the website:
- The priority of forest conservation
- The plight of fauna
- A voice for native habitat
- Deep ecology
- Holistic TBL leadership & management
- Economic health not growth
- Medium & Long term focus
- Mutual respect and understanding
- Safety nets & minimum standards
- Fair measurement & accountability
- Embracing complexity
- Critical Reasoning (problem solving,logic, root cause analysis, consequential exploration)
- Fostering knowledge exchange
- Local community partnering
- Fiercely independent and nonpartisan
- Not-for profit
Decide on scope for the website
- Tasmania only (including Tasmanian outlying islands)
- Issues impacting upon Tasmania’s triple bottom line (ecology/society/economy)
- Issue is important to Tasmanians
Advocate preservation of Tasmania’s native forest, river and coastal habitats for perpetuity
- Raise public awareness about threats and issues associated with Tasmania’s native forest, river and coastal habitats beyond headlines
- Draw upon multiple resources regularly:
-
- Hobart Mercury
- Launceston Advocate
- Municipal Council Business Papers
- Tasmanian Times
- Academic Journals and Papers
- Government Announcements
- Parliamentary Proceedings
- Corporate & Industry Announcements
- Provide an online forum for:
- Raising Tasmanian ecological, social and enterprise issues
- Present case arguments on these issues
- Supplying evidence about these issues – photo, video, other documentary evidence
- Organise a dichotomy of arguments and develop a case for conservation
- Explore issue develpment, problem solving and encourage community debate
- Advocate reform initiatives based upon conclusions from the debate and problem solving processes
- Think Tank: Formulate seminal conservation policy on each issue theme
- Disseminate draft policies for global peer review
- Offer reader value & satisfy reader needs & expectations to those genuinely pursuing conservation motives
- Explore cross-disciplinary investiagatin andresearch into Tamanian ecological and social issues
- In depth insight & exploration of issues and ideas
-
- Temporal context – historical context/thematic timeline – eg hydro, forestry, mining)
- Spatial context – place based focus but also comparing with lessons learned from other places
- Future thinking – ‘Greg Buckman’s ‘New Tasmania’ concept
- Hope & direction – answer ‘where do we go from here’ (needed when campaigns are gridlocked & community is polarised, and at the end of campaigns – for all sides, a way out
- Not compromise, but win-win.
.
Website Offerings:
- 200 word comments
- 1000 word essay articles with photos
- Rich wilderness photography
- Updates on issues & campaigns
- Proposals reviewed
- Ideas – questioning, messages, initiatives, inspirations, [positive]
- From various sources:
- Tasmanian councils
- Businessess
- Groups:
- chambers of commerce
- industry groups
- social groups
- community groups
- environmental groups
- individuals
- From various sources:
- Policy drafting – social, economic, political, ecological
.
.
Chapter 3: Tasmanian Values
.
- Open space and room to move
- Clean air and water
- Village atmosphere and country lifestyle
- Close to nature
- Safe and caring society
- Quiet and relaxing place to grow work and retire
- Work life balance
- A reasonable lifestyle and standard of living
- Access to education to ensure minimum literacy, numeracy and voction training
- Good health and access to quality healthcare
- Vibrant communities and Work Opportunties
- Participative democracy, with open and accountable government that listens and plans for a shared future
- Business Investment and prosperity (not growth)
- Built and Natural Heritage Land and wildlife and habitat protection
- Recognition of Aboriginal people rights to own and preserve their culture
- Built and natural heritage that is valued and protected
- Sustainable active and health of Tasmania’s natural ecologies
- High quality education and training for lifelong learning and a skilled workforce
- Active, healthy Tasmanians with access to quality and affordable health care services
- Vibrant, inclusive and growing communities where people feel valued and connected
.
.
Chapter 4: Tasmanian Community Needs
.
.
Chapter 5: Challenging Threats to Wild Tasmania
.
.
Chapter 6: Resolving Community Polarisations
.
.
Chapter 7: Tasmania’s Competitive Advantages
.
.
Chapter 8: New Tasmanian Directions
.
‘Creating a 21st Century Tasmania’
[An article by The Wilderness Society]
‘The Tasmanian state election will be held on Saturday 20 March. The Wilderness Society is urging Tasmanians to think about the forests when casting their vote.The island state’s native-forest logging industry is in crisis, as consumers globally are saying “no” to products resulting from the destruction of native forests. With woodchip sales drying up, Gunns Ltd, Australia’s largest export woodchipper, has seen its profits tumble and share price plummet. Logging and transport contractors are suffering. Tasmania’s political leaders should be taking this opportunity to pull the industry into the 21st century. But instead, Labor and Liberal have released policies which simply promise more of the same. More taxpayer-funded handouts to the industry, more destruction of Tasmania’s special places, more job losses and more community division. Tasmanians deserve better than this. Tasmania is world-renowned for its wilderness: it’s the birthplace of both the Wilderness Society and the environment movement in Australia.Tasmania could also be world-renowned for visionary leaders who finally decided that this tiny beautiful island near the bottom of the world shouldn’t be a major producer of native-forest woodchips.Over the course of the 2010 state election campaign, forests and environment issues have been prominent. The polls point to a community tired of Labor and Liberal support for a fast-tracked pulp mill, and politicians who put the interests of the logging industry ahead of the community.Regardless of who is elected this Saturday, the next Tasmanian Government must embrace sustainable change and realise that we can’t have a healthy economy without a healthy environment. It is not a choice between protecting forests and protecting jobs. We can have both. Time to find our common groundThe Wilderness Society has joined other individuals, organisations and businesses from all walks of life and of all political persuasions to create a sustainable and prosperous Tasmania, under the banner of ‘Our Common Ground’.
We assessed the policies of all three major parties against the forests and climate change policy asks of the Joint Tasmanian Environment Groups 2010 Policy Agenda.”
Source: The Wilderness Society, Hobart Tasmania, ^http://www.wilderness.org.au/articles/think-about-tasmanias-forests-this-saturday [Accessed 20100401].
References:
.
Tasmania Together 2020 ^http://www.tasmaniatogether.tas.gov.au/obr/benchmark_reports The Wilderness Society, Hobart Tasmania, ^http://www.wilderness.org.au/articles/think-about-tasmanias-forests-this-saturday.
.
Related Links:
.
[1] ^http://www.wilderness.org.au/regions/tasmania [2] ^http://www.ourcommonground.org.au/ [3] ^http://tashealthydemocracy.com/ [4] >Wild Tasmania Photography Exhibition(Nov 2012).
– End of webpage –
