World Heritage Areas - why they are special

With the world’s growing population, many countries are facing increasing pressure to develop wild and undeveloped places. However, in the developed world, thankfully, we have many of these places under special protection, such as in National Parks.

Heritage is our legacy from the past – what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritages are irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.

What makes the concept of world heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory in which they are located. World Heritage Areas, by their designation, are a significant attractor of international visitors. These people place very high importance on the pristine, untouched nature of these special places.

UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

The New Zealand government, as signatory to this convention, has an important stewardship role to play in protecting these special areas. Failure to adhere to these protection principles, by allowing ad hoc developments such as tunnels and other activities such as mining to go ahead within our national parks, may be perceived internationally as New Zealand having little, or no regard for the importance of being a responsible member of the international World Heritage community and it may be said that it places private wealth creation before enduring environmental protection.

These factors, as well as globally reported degradation in New Zealand’s environmental standards, potentially indicate that New Zealand is not worthy of being a responsible signatory of such international accords or treaties.

Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area comprises four of New Zealand’s most important national parks: Westland National Park, Mount Aspiring National Park, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park and Fiordland National Park.

This area is described by the World Heritage Site list as comprising “the least-disturbed tenth of New Zealand’s land mass, with some two million hectares of temperate rainforest, 450 km of alpine communities, and a distinctive fauna...The vegetation is notable both in national and international terms for its diversity and essentially pristine condition.”

The proposed Dart Passage tunnel is aimed at moving people more quickly from Queenstown to Milford Sound, but does not allow more people to appreciate our national parks and World Heritage Areas; in fact leading tourism industry spokespeople are suggesting that such a transport system will reduce visitor stay in New Zealand and will also significantly reduce visitor satisfaction, which will in turn adversely influence the potential for return visits.

What impact does further development of these special places have on our image as a destination? Will people fly to the other side of the world to see a pretty landscape that is supported by extensive man-made infrastructure and modified landscapes similar to what they see at home?

Or is our least disturbed tenth of New Zealand, with all it has to offer, something that people will value more, as something unique that motivates them to travel long distances to visit?

About Stephen Canny

Steve Canny is the Group Manager Enterprise and Strategic Projects at Venture Southland. Outside work, Steve's passion is for cycling. He is currently the  President of Cycling Southland.