00:02Mariah Island is known for its stunning scenery, World Heritage listed buildings and abundant wildlife.
00:08It's been a favoured destination for generations of Tasmanians,
00:12and even interstate and overseas visitors make repeat trips.
00:17It's unique, I've never seen something like this anywhere else on the planet.
00:24The island offers bunk room accommodation and camping,
00:27but day trips are increasingly popular.
00:30Tourist numbers have been steadily growing over the past 15 years,
00:34and in the 2023-24 financial year reached a record 53,000 visitors.
00:40More regulated than when we were kids, but there's also more facilities,
00:46so it makes it easier to bring a young family out here.
00:53Mariah's a sanctuary for native wildlife.
00:55It's really popular in Chinese social media,
00:59so that's why we know it since we planned here for a trip.
01:04Visitors are told before boarding the ferry to stay two to five metres away from wildlife,
01:09but social media is rife with videos of people showing themselves getting too close
01:14once they're on the island.
01:30Jazz Potter and Rosie Gibbs are ecology students on exchange in Tasmania and New Zealand from the UK.
01:36It's definitely been more populated than we would imagine.
01:41There's a lot of tourists here and a lot of people who are clearly quite uneducated about how to treat
01:46wildlife properly.
01:47I think there should be stricter management in place to ensure that people are properly educated.
01:55Conditions are dry and the island's water supplies are critically low.
01:59The showers have been closed for years and visitors need to bring all their own drinking water.
02:03With no cafes or shops, people also need to bring their own food.
02:07We made some wraps last night for breakfast and lunch and then packed heaps of water and snacks and all
02:13the goodies.
02:14Work is underway to cater to the growing demand.
02:17The ferry operator is procuring a new bigger vessel
02:20and there's a $9 million project to modernise the island's water and electrical infrastructure.
02:25A large area has been cleared for the new wastewater treatment plant.
02:30Conservationists have raised concerns that those trees were critical habitat
02:33for the threatened swift parrot and 40-spotted pardalote.
02:36We need to get our priorities straight here with parks.
02:39Are we here to protect this beautiful area for generations to come
02:43or to flog it off for infinite growth in the short term?
02:47Tasmania's Minister for Parks, Nick Dygan, says the infrastructure upgrades are critical
02:51for the sustainability of the island.
02:53A new draft management plan for the Mariah Island National Park has been out for public comment.
02:58An overwhelming number of Tasmanians responded to the management plan consultation
03:03saying they want the island to largely stay as it is
03:06with no further accommodation or any food offerings.
03:09They want visitor numbers to be limited
03:11and more education for those who do come here to better protect the island.
03:16The final management plan is due to be released and implemented later this year.
03:21Next one is our officialachte board, the man ranked up here,
03:24with a background on service mining committee as well.
03:25For those ·
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