Decision 44 COM 7B.75

Tasmanian Wilderness (Australia) (C/N 181quinquies)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7B.61, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Welcomes the State Party’s further progress with the implementation of the recommendations of the 2015 joint ICOMOS/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission, but notes that some of these recommendations remain to be fully implemented, and reiterates its request to the State Party to finalize, as a matter of priority, the on-going process to designate Permanent Timber Production Zone Land (PTPZL) and Future Potential Production Forest Land (FPPFL) within the property as reserves;
4. Commends the State Party for the completion of the 'Cultural Values Assessment of the 2013 Extension Area to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area’ that more than doubles the number of registered Aboriginal sites in the extension area, and also reiterates its request to the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre details of how the cultural values of the additional areas relate to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
5. Also takes note of the finalization and release of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Tourism Master Plan and requests the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to review this Plan in light of their earlier comments, and in particular to verify whether this Tourism Master Plan:
   1. Is fully aligned with the 2016 Management Plan for the property,
   2. Includes more specific guidance regarding the protection of the OUV of the property, including more details on how the wilderness values of the property should be considered in decision-making processes related to tourism management,
   3. Considered the parallel Expression of Interest process for tourism development projects and how the latter may be affected by the Plan, and
   4. Advances the implementation of the Detailed Plan for a Comprehensive Cultural Assessment in order to be able to take into account all relevant expressions of cultural heritage, including those not yet identified;
6. Notes with serious concern the impacts of the 2018-2019 fires at the property, including localized losses of some vegetation types, and urges the State Party to develop, in line with its commitment, a comprehensive Fire Management Plan for the property as a matter of priority;
7. Also urges the State Party to avoid any development at the property before the Detailed Plan for a Comprehensive Cultural Assessment is implemented, reminds the State Party of the importance of carrying out impact assessments, and to submit to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, details of any project that may affect the property’s OUV, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
8. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2022, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for review by the Advisory Bodies.