Latest news with #WorldHeritageArea
New Straits Times
02-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Exco: Boon Siew Villa not under Unesco, state, or national protection list
Boon Siew Villa in Batu Ferringhi, which was recently demolished to make way for a luxury condominium project, is outside the George Town United Nationas Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation World Heritage Site, a state executive councillor said. State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the property, once the residence of Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew, known as 'Mr Honda', was not listed under national or state heritage protection. "The private property is outside George Town's World Heritage Area," he told the New Straits Times. The demolition of the villa has sparked strong reactions from heritage advocates and Penangites, who see the loss as another blow to the island's cultural identity. The villa, regarded as a symbol of Penang's colonial-era architecture, was listed in the Penang Built Heritage Inventory in 2012. On whether the property should have been protected, Wong said there were other landmarks, such as Wisma Boon Siew and Jalan Loh Boon Siew, that still existed in the state capital here. "There are many properties and land banks under the family of Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew. There is even one Boon Siew Building in neighbouring Singapore." Earlier this week, the state government confirmed that all technical and safety requirements had been met for the luxury condominium project, despite public concern over traffic congestion and safety in the area. Last October, it was reported that Singaporean real estate and lodging company The Ascott Ltd was partnering with Malaysian developer Instant Icon Sdn Bhd to develop Ascott Residences Batu Ferringhi, which is set to welcome residents from January 2028. Ascott country general manager for Malaysia, Mondi Mecja, had said that the greenfield development would feature 99 residences for sale and the project was expected to break new ground in Penang's luxury living market, with a strong focus on owner occupation. The development would feature a diverse selection of spacious living options, ranging from 185sq m to 370sq m, along with a penthouse exceeding 740sq m. The NST has contacted both The Ascott Ltd and Instant Icon for comment.
Otago Daily Times
13-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Agency baffled by decision to protect wapiti deer
Forest & Bird has hit out at the plan to give special status to the wapiti deer, saying it is allowing a North American deer species to use a national park "as a glorified vege patch". Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager announced on Monday the government was looking to make the wapiti deer a herd of special interest (HOSI). It would also allow the introduced animal to live in Fiordland National Park. A HOSI would improve herd and trophy health, better manage the impact of valued and other introduced species and continue to improve biodiversity, Mr Meager said. Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki said the agency was baffled by the prioritisation of government time and energy into helping 512 hunters shoot 86 deer in a national park. "It's hard to put into words just how questionable this decision is." Wapiti deer were an introduced feral species contributing to biodiversity damage in Fiordland National Park, she said. The park forms part of the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area, which covers 2.6 million hectares — almost 10% of Aotearoa New Zealand's total land area. It was recognised by Unesco as the largest and least modified area of New Zealand's natural ecosystems and the world's best intact modern representation of the ancient biota of Gondwana. "Instead of trying to ensure Fiordland can welcome kākāpō back to their home, this government is instead looking at changing the law to let a North American deer species use the national park as a glorified vege patch — eating away at the very natural heritage that these sanctuaries have been legally designed to protect. "What's next? A sanctuary for stoats?" The plan was catering to a handful of vested interests at the expense of all New Zealanders, Ms Toki said. Forest & Bird was appalled at the ongoing attacks on conservation land. "This is merely the latest salvo in this government's war on nature. "Is there nothing that this government won't do to our precious places, including conservation land and national parks? "Mining on the Denniston Plateau, commercial fishing carve-outs in the Hauraki Gulf, selling off conservation land, and now game parks instead of national parks. "New Zealanders are deeply concerned at this constant erosion of conservation in the very places that the government has been charged with protecting." Forest & Bird was not anti-hunting," she said. Hunting was part of the toolbox in tackling the out-of-control numbers of browsing animals that were causing significant damage to New Zealand's environment. "Forest & Bird is supportive of the role the hunting community can and does play in helping to stem the tide of deer, pig and goat numbers. "However, we are equally clear that putting precious time and taxpayer money into a [HOSI] is not a priority." — APL
The Guardian
21-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Bob Brown urges Greens to punish Labor at election if Albanese amends law to protect salmon farming
Former Greens leader Bob Brown has urged the minor party not to preference Labor ahead of the Liberal party in Tasmanian seats at the upcoming election if the Albanese government legislates to effectively exempt salmon farming from national environment laws. Conservationists have sharply criticised Anthony Albanese's pledge that he will rush through legislation next week to protect the salmon industry in Macquarie Harbour, on the state's west coast, from the potential results of a long-running legal review. The legislation has been listed to be introduced in parliament on Tuesday as an amendment to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. It is planned to end a formal reconsideration by the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, into whether an expansion of fish farming in the harbour in 2012 was properly approved. The reconsideration was triggered by a legal request from three environmentally focused organisations. An environment department opinion released under freedom of information laws suggested that it could lead to salmon farming having to stop in the harbour while an environmental impact statement was prepared. Guardian Australia has learned the legislation would prevent reconsideration requests in cases where developments were deemed 'not a controlled action' – meaning they did not need a full federal environmental assessment. To qualify, the developments would need to be ongoing or recurring, have been under way for at least five years before the request was made, and be subject to state or territory oversight. A spokesperson for Albanese this week said the government would amend the 'flawed' environment law 'to secure jobs and local industries'. Asked on Friday if he would support the amendment, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said: 'Absolutely. We've proposed it. We've been months and months and months ahead of the game in relation to the salmon industry. We have stood with the salmon industry, with workers.' Environmentalists said the change would weaken laws that were already failing to protect Australia's most celebrated natural sites or to stop species going extinct. Brown said if Albanese acted on his pledge it would be 'the lowest direct act by a national Labor government against Australia's environment in memory'. 'On coalmines, gas fracking, forest logging and now industrial fish farms, Labor and Liberal are in lockstep in this epic age of environmental destruction,' he said. 'Greens voters should be directed to preference like-minded candidates on this critical issue, but then be left to decide which of the old parties to put last.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The Wilderness Society said the legislation could lead to the extinction of the Maugean skate, an endangered species endemic to the harbour, and undermine the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Its campaign manager, Sam Szoke-Burke, said: 'If passed, this bill will be remembered as Prime Minister Albanese cementing species loss into law. It would be in stark contrast to Bob Hawke's legacy of protecting the Franklin [River].' Brendan Sydes, from the Australian Conservation Foundation, said Albanese had failed to deliver a promised revamp of environmental law, had intervened on behalf of mining and resources interests to shelve a proposed national environment protection agency and was now planning to reduce nature protection. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'We really need a PM who is prepared to step up and deliver on the commitments his government has made on environmental law reform and start acting in the national interest, rather than acting in the interests of environmentally harmful industries,' he said. The independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie said Albanese was prioritising winning a seat that 'they're probably not going to win anyway' – Braddon, in the state's north-west – over saving a species from extinction. 'That's just an appalling misstep by Anthony Albanese and his government, and an appalling breakdown in good governments and proper process,' Wilkie said. 'I'm very disappointed in Albo, he's better than this.' A spokesperson for the Greens leader, Adam Bandt, said preferences were 'a matter for the party, but our focus is on keeping Peter Dutton out and getting Labor to act'. 'This attempt to ram through further weakening of our environment laws at the behest of big corporations is going to make people very angry,' they said. The government has said it remained committed to reforming environment law if it wins the next election, but not released details.
