7mile.

1. Dear Editor
(This letter would go well with a photo)
Seven Mile Beach – another one bites the dust.
Incrementally we destroy with urban sprawl like the crown
of thorns starfish. A truly integral visual asset that is
valuable to the long term Socio-Economic Potentials and
Sustainabilities of very many people – Tasmania’s character.
A degree of private livelihood versus a degree of public
livelihood. Much is destined to be lost.
Seven Mile Beach with Signal Hill today is rare in the urban
world. Hobart with mountain au naturale, Bicheno with
granite knolls in town centre, extra special beaches very
close to main centres. Valuing the clean and green while we
live very close to it. Smaller scale Natural Heritage icons
and amenity such as these prevail throughout Tasmania’s
settled areas. Land-use administrators and even people local
to these Natural aspects easily overlook the pressures on
them, even whilst enjoying them. The problem is caused by;
a concept that Natural Heritage is far away wilderness, that
the pressures are largely future and that the settler’s tradition
of private ownerships shall never wane.
Signal Hill is the head of the asset that wraps the users of its
Beach in near wilderness and scenic recreational delight.
Sandhills, sand spit, headland and distant skylines containing
a huge bay of sea. This is asset in wonderful condition
integral with fast growing country population, very highly
accessible to all Tasmanians and visitors, even from
incoming air passengers.
Under the pressures of accelerating change and only
precariously partly protected by anticipatory planning this
visual amenity as anyperson should have guessed is set to be
lost to the public in trade for its private optimisations. And
fair enough too if corporate Tasmania has been too dim-
witted to be prepared. Most don’t realise their loss – it’s
incremental, but the wonderful treasure that is Seven Mile
Beach today will be transformed into something closer to
that which one can find anywhere else in the world.
Consciousness of the concern is diluted because much
attitude is based on the great abundance of natural amenity
in the country. In this abundance however is a value
hierarchy that is barely documented. Mount Wellington has
survived as a priority asset. Other locales have
unacknowledged priority natural assets. Many say Carlton
Beach too for example with its bluffs is one of these. But
they are correct only insofar as this is recognised in law,
even if the lands in question are ever gifted or bought by the
community.
Such conflict will become increasingly prevalent in the
realms of Tasmania as Development and Extraction find less
room in the face of Natural Heritage and lifestyle values.
Response is needed for specific protection of settlement
integrated priority natural assets.
Emotional conflict typical in the world. It is evident that
Natural Heritage is seriously waning in these conflicts. On
the defense, for lack of timely evaluation, tough critical law
and public investment or land swap.
Both public and private vested interests can be optimised
through business-like responses. Obviously the wholistic
evaluations and implementations of planning in the state are
not up to speed with these very serious global times and
opportunities.
M. J. Latham debox_degrid
Sorell
6265 1420
16 San Francisco St
25 Aug 03