UNESCO's World Heritage Committee (WHC) is concerned about mining and logging under a draft management plan for Tasmania's World Heritage Area.

It wants the plan changed, and has stated that mineral exploration and exploitation is incompatible with world heritage status.

The Tasmanian Government is trying to change the way the state's 1.5 million hectare World Heritage Area is managed.

The existing management plan divides the area into four zones, while the new draft plan replaces the wilderness zone with a remote recreation zone.

In Paris overnight, UNESCO's WHC urged the draft plan be changed.

An initial review cited concerns that the plan appeared to create potential for logging operations and mining activity in the World Heritage Area.

The draft plan at a glance: About 1.5 million hectares, a quarter of Tasmania, is covered by the World Heritage listing

About 1.5 million hectares, a quarter of Tasmania, is covered by the World Heritage listing The area contains diverse land types with unique biodiversity, combined with Aboriginal sites

The area contains diverse land types with unique biodiversity, combined with Aboriginal sites Introduced in January this year by the Tasmanian Government, the draft plan allows low-scale tourism ventures in the World Heritage Area

Introduced in January this year by the Tasmanian Government, the draft plan allows low-scale tourism ventures in the World Heritage Area It scraps the dominant wilderness zone and replaces it with a remote recreation zone

It scraps the dominant wilderness zone and replaces it with a remote recreation zone The change allows for basic accommodation, some logging of specialty timber, and some mining activity

The change allows for basic accommodation, some logging of specialty timber, and some mining activity The management plan has been met with support from the tourism industry and strong opposition from environmental groups

It is also concerned that there is no clear identification of the area's cultural value.

A planned survey of the cultural attributes of Tasmania's World Heritage Area is due to be completed in 2018.

In its review of the draft management plan, the WHC said it had "repeatedly called" for a definition of the property's cultural value.

The committee recommended a mission of international experts be invited to Tasmania to review and provide advice for a survey and the revision of the draft management plan before any moves to finalise it.

Tasmania's Environment Minister Matthew Groom said the State Government would give "very careful consideration" to the concerns raised.

"We recognise that it's important as we move through the consultation process that we listen to all ideas, thoughts and contributions," he said.

"We have already invited the World Heritage Committee and its advisory bodies to Tasmania to see first hand what we're doing here in Tasmania in the responsible management of the World Heritage Area and to have further discussions about what we're seeking to achieve through the new plan.

Mr Groom said the Government was "absolutely committed to the outstanding values" of the area.

"I am serious when I say we are genuine in our consultation process," he added.

"The concerns that have been raised in terms of the cultural heritage are well known, they're not new and we fully acknowledge that.

"That's why in the draft management plan we've sought to elevate the emphasis on the protection and celebration and sharing of the extraordinary cultural heritage we have inside the World Heritage Area."

Tasmanian Greens Nick McKim said the possibility of logging and mining in protected areas was damaging.

"The World Heritage Committee has come down on Matthew Groom like a tonne of bricks over night and he should be embarrassed at the international shame he's exposed Tasmania to," he said.

'It's a wake-up call that we have to get it right'

The World Heritage Area makes up almost a quarter of Tasmania, one of the largest temperate natural areas in the southern hemisphere.

It is recognised on the basis of three cultural heritage and four natural heritage criteria and is one of only two properties listed under the UN convention for this many criteria.

Vica Bayley from the Wilderness Society said UNESCO delivered a damning rejection of Tasmania's draft management plan.

"It's a wake-up call that we have to get it right, we have to completely withdraw and redraft the management plan and we have to get on with the job of honouring the committee's request to engage with the Aboriginal community and properly understand and study the cultural heritage values of this area," he said.

Mr Bayley said it was uncommon for UNESCO to recommend sending a monitoring mission.

"I think that's significant in that it signals the committee has deep concerns over the management direction of the Hodgman Government, and that it wants to send its team out here to give advice and to assist with the development and finalisation of the management plan," he said.

"It demonstrates that the committee, I think, has lost confidence in the way Tasmania's wilderness World Heritage Area is being managed."

Indigenous community demand proper consultation

Ruth Langford from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre said many Indigenous people are private landholders within the World Heritage Area.

She said consultation with the Aboriginal community had been "very limited lip service".

"We need to be involved in actually scoping the project. The draft management plan that the Government produced does not in any way identify how they're going to protect our cultural landscape," she said.

Sorry, this video has expired UNESCO calls for changes in draft World Heritage Area management plan ( Rebecca Hewett )

"We care for areas that are highly sacred and significant to ourselves and the world.

"There are other areas that through the area's remoteness, their protection has been assured.

"But if it's open to tourism without understanding the sacred significance of those areas, then they're jeopardising it for all of us.

"We are particularly concerned that mining and logging is OK within the world heritage area, that is just unacceptable.

"We've been offering our expert advice for many years, it's about time the Government started to listen."

The Tasmanian Tourism Industry Council's Luke Martin said he supports the committee's call for strong controls on what can be done in the World Heritage Area.

"Nothing in their draft has said that it's not appropriate for tourism to happen in the Tasmanian World Heritage Area because it's not their position," he said.

"What they want is to make sure there's an extremely robust criteria and that's exactly what we want, and we wouldn't expect anything different for these areas."

UNESCO last year rejected a bid from the Federal Government to delist more than 70,000 hectares of forest from the World Heritage Area.

The Federal Government has been contacted for comment.