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THE Tasmanian Aboriginal community will seek management of the area on the West Coast that was put on the National Heritage List last week.
The two-kilometre stretch of coastline from the bottom of Marrawah through to the mouth of the Arthur River was placed on the list by Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke last week.
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre legal director Michael Mansell said a meeting would be sought with Mr Burke.
“Aborigines must be handed management. It is ridiculous for a place to gain national significance status because of its Aboriginal values but at the same time deny Aboriginal people control over that heritage,” Mr Mansell said.
“For too long the Tasmanian government has focused on high-cost infrastructure tourism at the expense of low output for high returns from Aboriginal heritage. Tourists want the real experience of culture and history.
“Aboriginal people will not put our hearts and souls into developing a tourist economy based on our heritage without recognition of our rights to the very lands our heritage is part of. Management is a start.”
The Western Aboriginal Cultural Landscape was added to the National Heritage List for its seal hides along the coast, the hut depressions at Temma and elsewhere that held up to 40 Aboriginals and the massive 80-metre high middens are evidence of this unique lifestyle.
“The rock engravings at Preminghana date back 15,000 years and depict the walking tracks and tribal boundaries, the totems as well as the story of major events that happened during that period,” Mr Mansell said.
“These recordings are older than the Bible and pre-date the Egyptian pyramids by 10,000 years.”