Federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke's comments ruling out a blanket heritage listing of the Tarkine owing to the presence of existing mining developments should be seen for what they are: yet another excuse to facilitate mining, Australian Greens Leader, Christine Milne said today.

"Minister Burke is raising a furphy in order to avoid his responsibility to immediately protect the heritage values of the Tarkine.

"The minister thinks it's "pretty hard" to argue that the Savage River mine be considered as having natural heritage values.

The major Greens policies are supportive of Tasmania. For example, the Greens support will get the mining tax through -- and we'll be trying to make it much stronger -- which will redistribute some money from overseas shareholders to Australians including Tasmanians.

A more measured pace in extraction of our mineral resources would mean a lower exchange rate which would help Tasmanian tourism and lower interest rates that would benefit other Tasmanian industries.

State Environment Minister, Brian Wightman is misleading Tasmanians when claiming the government must do all it can to protect endangered species, Greens Deputy Leader, Christine Milne said today.

"Tasmanians will be outraged to hear that in the same week Mr Wightman is seeking a meeting with Minister Burke to try to prevent the heritage listing of the Tarkine , he is also announcing two days later that we must do all we can to protect our threatened species.

Tony Burke's National Press Club speech today in which he outlined his intention to consider the heritage listing of many sites throughout Australia was incomplete without mention of the Tarkine region, Greens Deputy Leader, Christine Milne said.

"How can the Environment Minister stand in front of our national broadcaster and say that on one hand we must add a layer of environmental protection that acts well in advance of searching for endangered species, whilst on the other hand denying the Tarkine any immediate protection from the current Tasmanian mining rush"

Both the Government and Coalition must explain why they both today denied an urgently-needed World Heritage assessment of the Tarkine, despite supporting it almost five years ago, says Greens Deputy Leader, Christine Milne.

Labor and Coalition senators today voted down a motion tabled by Senator Milne calling on the government to uphold an undertaking made by the Howard government asking the Australian Heritage Council to review the Tarkine's World Heritage values.

The federal Minister for Environment must explain why a review of the Tarkine's world heritage values was never made despite a pledge to do so almost five years ago, Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Christine Milne said today.

In 2007 a motion by former Democrats Senator, Andrew Bartlett, to recommend the Tarkine be assessed for world heritage values was passed by both major parties.

"The Brighton Bypass fiasco demonstrates that Tasmania's indigenous heritage in the lower Jordan valley is not valued or respected at the state level and so the federal Government must intervene to stop the work whilst the alternative routes are assessed, "Senator Christine Milne, Australian Greens Deputy leader said today.