The Tasmanian Government has destroyed a cultural heritage place for Palawa people in Launceston near the Plipatumila / South Esk River.
Tasmania’s Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) sought an Aboriginal heritage permit because its proposed works at the Reedy Gully Fire North Fire Trail within the Trevallyn Nature Recreation Area would impact known Aboriginal heritage sites. The Tasmanian Government’s so-called Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania department, incorrectly, and without consulting Tasmania’s Aboriginal community, advised PWS that no permit was required and that the works could proceed.
Tasmanian Aboriginal Pakana Rangers were shocked and distressed after recently visiting the area to discover that, without any consultation, the gully had been filled with gravel, which had been compacted, vegetation cleared and culverts and drainage pipes installed, significantly damaging, altering and subsuming this cultural heritage site.
“This is yet another example of the Tasmanian Government applying to and then giving itself permission to destroy Aboriginal heritage, which it then does, while entirely excluding Tasmania’s Aboriginal people,” said Rebecca Digney, TAC CEO.
“This is totally avoidable if the Government’s so-called Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania (AHT) department simply contacted the Aboriginal community. Instead, it relied on a desktop review and decided it knows best when it does not.
“AHT wrongly advised the Parks and Wildlife Service that no permit was required. Works have now irreversibly damaged this landscape, this place and indelible marks and stone tools that it held, severing the ongoing connection that the Palawa community had with this place.
“The fact that PWS applied for an Aboriginal heritage permit shows it knew there was Aboriginal heritage sites at the location. The fact AHT gave its works the go-ahead without one is outrageous. A special place is now needlessly ruined.
“If they had contacted us, we could have supported the fire-break works and protected Aboriginal heritage. But they failed to do so, are under no obligation to do so and have now destroyed this special site of connection, heritage and Country for the Launceston area’s Palawa people. It’s a disgrace but this keeps happening over and over. How many times has this happened under the watchful eye of AHT and PWS without the knowledge of the Aboriginal Community? How many more times will it happen?
“We demand that Parks Minister Nick Duigan investigate this failure, yet another example of the systemic failure to manage Lutruwita’s / Tasmania’s globally-significant living Tasmanian Aboriginal heritage. If this had been European heritage, the story would be very different.
“The solution to this ongoing destruction is to work with the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. Unfortunately, the Tasmanian Government’s new heritage Bill promises more ongoing destruction because it fails to recognise Aboriginal ownership and decision-making power over our own significant heritage,” said Ms Digney.
Launceston’s Aboriginal Community regularly visited this location, including Community members and Aboriginal Rangers. It was a place of connection and learning for Aboriginal people of all ages and is highly significant, being the closest place for Aboriginal people in Launceston, where they came to hold and connect with their Old People’s tools that they left behind. Most other sites have been destroyed.
Media release issued on 12 June 2026
