Hobart’s Kunanyi\/Mt Wellington attracts more than 400,000 visitors per year, most who drive up a winding road to reach its summit. A review of transport options and the park’s management will soon kick off \u2014 and will likely include talk of a cable-car.<\/p>\n
The latest cable car proposal was rejected by the Hobart City Council, nine votes to three, in 2022.<\/p>\n
The proponent, the Mount Wellington Cableway Company, appealed against the council’s decision to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT), but the appeal failed.<\/p>\n
TASCAT found the proposal did not meet standards around noise, visual impact and impacts on geo heritage and biodiversity.<\/p>\n
The Mount Wellington Cableway Company has since laid low.<\/p>\n
Mr Bayley said the issue “should have been settled”.<\/p>\n
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Vica Bayley has described the draft recommendations as “deeply disturbing”. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)<\/p>\n
“This is an issue that’s been rejected by the community and by the planning appeals tribunal, because it’s not consistent with protecting the values of the mountain,” Mr Bayley said.<\/p>\n
Business, Industry and Resources Minister Felix Ellis said the department was “consulting on all potential options to feed into the strategic review’s action plan”.<\/p>\n
“The evidence is clear that we need sustainable, long-term solutions for transport on the mountain,” Mr Ellis said.Feedback points out ‘commercial’ focus<\/p>\n
Each of the draft recommendations in the government’s review were blacked out before the documents were released under RTI, but the documents did include the feedback given by the Wellington Park Management Trust.<\/p>\n
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There have been multiple proposals for a cable car on Kunanyi\/Mount Wellington. (Supplied: MWCC)<\/p>\n
Responding to one of the recommendations, the trust said it did not support a focus on building visitation “over and above organic growth, before current visitation can be supported”.<\/p>\n
“The purposes for which WP [Wellington Park] was set aside include to provide recreational and tourism uses and opportunities, but not to proactively grow visitation,” the trust wrote.<\/p>\n
“There appears to be an overarching repositioning of Wellington Park as a commercial tourism product.<\/p>\n
“Actively building visitation (over and above organic growth) before current visitation can be safely accommodated is not supported.”<\/p>\n
Mountain review reflects community split<\/p>\n
Tasmanians have long been divided over the value of a cable car on Kunanyi\/Mount Wellington.<\/p>\n