Saving the Franklin podcast dives into fight to save Franklin River 40 years on

The ABC podcast, titled Saving the Franklin, is presented by Triple j's Hack host, Jo Lauder.

In 1982, protestors and environmental activists worked with the Australian Government to stop the damming of the Franklin River by the Tasmanian Government and the Hydro Electric Commission, saving a key wilderness area in Tasmania and creating a political precedent for the raising of environmental concerns in parliament.

Ms Lauder said in an era of environmental activism and politics, many younger generations wouldn't know the ins and outs of the campaign.

"We felt enough time had passed to revisit the topic and it's still really relevant to what we're seeing today," she said.

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She said the first episode would look at Lake Pedder, the campaign before the Franklin that shared similar characteristics in its protests.

"It had so many of the same political dynamics and major players as the Franklin and after that, we look at the start of the Franklin campaign in those early years when the proposal was first put up."

"There's also an episode where we really focus on the First Nations heritage that came to light and the rediscovery of Kutikina cave and looking at how that was very critical to what went on then to the world heritage listing."

Guests include environmental activists who were behind the campaign, politicians of the day and locals on the west coast, including people who wanted the dam to go ahead.

Ms Lauder said she felt the story of the Franklin was still relevant 40 years later.

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"I think the Franklin was one of if not the first big national cultural wars that we had around the environment," Ms Lauder said.

"From the environmentalist's perspective, because it was a successful campaign, it really created a blueprint for how environmental activism was carried out in the country from that point on."

She said a lot of protests today were informed by the Franklin.

"Some of the training that they went through for the first time at the Franklin is still done today by environmental activists," Ms Lauder said.

The first three episodes of Saving the Franklin are out Monday, May 1 on all streaming platforms.

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