Key Points
- People were spotted illegally using closed tracks in ancient aboriginal sites in Tasmania.
- The area contains the remains of numerous hut depressions found in 40,000 Aboriginal shell middens.
- Access to off-road tracks in the region has proven a divisive issue.
Ancient Aboriginal sites on Tasmania's rugged and national heritage-listed northwest coast have been "destroyed" by off-road 4WD users, an Indigenous group and conservationists claim.
The Bob Brown Foundation and Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre say people were spotted illegally using closed tracks in the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area over the Easter weekend.
The area contains the remains of numerous hut depressions found in 40,000 Aboriginal shell middens.
"Aboriginal heritage is being destroyed on this coast. It is unacceptable," foundation campaigner Scott Jordan told reporters on Friday.
"Those coastal areas are highly sensitive. They're areas that were walked by the Aboriginal people for over 40,000 years.
"They weren't ever landscapes subjected to 4WD vehicles, tearing through those sites. We're seeing sensitive vegetation being destroyed (and) shorebird nesting and breeding disturbed."
Artists involved in a Bob Brown Foundation trip south of Temma took photos of 4WD tracks allegedly over middens.
Divisive issue
Access to off-road tracks in the region has proven a divisive issue.
Two years ago, the state Liberal government ruled out reopening closed tracks in the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area after finding they directly intersected with 35 Aboriginal heritage sites and potentially put another 26 at risk.
State Liberal minister Felix Ellis, who represents the electorate of Braddon which covers the west coast, described the situation as "not black and white".
"Obviously, we all need to be playing by the rules," he said.
"Personally, I'm on the record, I think we should be opening those tracks. A big part of that is the local Indigenous community, they want to get down to (that) part of the world.
"We need to obviously manage the heritage there, it is really significant heritage. But also provide people access to their country."
Mr Jordan and Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre campaign co-ordinator Nala Mansell have called for greater park ranger and police presence in the region to prevent damage to sensitive sites.
"It's easy to see the Aboriginal cultural heritage all around that area," Ms Mansell said.
"As people are driving over Aboriginal midden sites I'm sure they're aware of what they're doing.
"The issue is there is no one there ensuring they stay away."
Mr Ellis said police and the state's parks and wildlife service conducted an operation in the area a few weeks ago.
"We'll continue to work on law enforcement and making sure people are doing the right thing," he said.
A vast stretch of Tasmania's west coast was added to the national heritage list in 2013.
