Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00045:body:0:p5
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00045
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 11597–14799

unpublished (2012).

Tasmania

'Sphagnum peatland' is listed as 'Rare' under the Nature Conservation Act 2002 (NC Act). The Act specifies that there can be no clearance or conversion of listed communities without a certified Forest Practices Plan. This means that it cannot be cleared or converted unless exceptional circumstances have been approved by the Forest Practices Authority (FPA, 2011). A high proportion of the ecological community is located within National Parks and the World Heritage Areas of Tasmania.
1.3 Affected interests and potential contributors

The ecological community is an integral component of the catchments, and catchment hydrology, of the Australian Alps and Tasmanian highlands.

The water yields from the Alps Australian mainland catchments are valued at about $9 billion annually to the Australian economy (agriculture, hydroelectricity and drinking water supply) (Worboys et al., 2011). This economic value lies partly in the ecological community's role in regulating and filtering water flows to the major rivers of the Murray Darling system. As such, the health, function and productivity of the ecological community are of importance to the national interest.

Specific stakeholders listed below may be affected by the recovery plan's implementation as they own or manage (or may otherwise influence management of) relatively large areas of land on which the ecological community may occur. These parties have a role in the implementation and coordination of recovery actions, particularly across the different land tenures. The major affected interests are:
  *                  National Parks, State Forests and other public land management agencies
  *                  Organisations operating in National Parks and State Forests
  *                  Private landholders
  *                  Traditional Owners.

Non-Commonwealth government organisations and individuals are encouraged rather than bound by or obliged to implement the actions under this plan.

There are a number of other parties with interests in the National Parks where the ecological community occurs. These include: ski resort operators, recreation interests, electricity providers, roads and transport infrastructure agencies, and communications companies. It is necessary for these operators to fully understand their obligations to avoid significant impacts to the ecological community, and to act consistently with the actions outlined in this plan, particularly section 6.3 – guide for decision makers.

Indigenous knowledge, role and interests

Compared to other areas of Australia, Aboriginal history across the Alps is still quite poorly understood (Context, 2014).

Evidence from archaeological sites suggests Aboriginal peoples continuously visited or inhabited the alpine and sub-alpine regions from at least 21,000 years ago (Flood, 1980). Many groups maintain strong cultural links and interest in the area today including the Ngunnawal, Wiradjuri, Warundjeri, Ngarigo, Monaro Ngarigo, Wolgalu, and the Taungurung peoples. Wiradjuri, Wolgalu and Ngunnawal are known by their own totems but are acknowledged through the matrilineal bloodline of the Monaro Ngarigo peoples. Many