The following story comes from the Tasmanian National Parks Association (TNPA).

‘Everybody had thought that the most preposterous aspect of the 2016 Cradle Mountain Master Plan – the cableway from the visitor centre to Dove Lake – had long been forgotten. Unfortunately the nightmare of another major intrusion into the naturalness of Cradle Valley is turning into reality with the Coordinator General recently announcing it to the annual conference of the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania as a fait accompli.

Any ‘consultation’ will relate to the finer details of the cableway, not to the concept of a cableway or the appropriateness of such a contraption in an overwhelmingly natural area. The cornerstone of WHA management in the past has been full and open consultation, from the beginning.  The proposed consultation – after gaining Cabinet approval – is the complete opposite.  It is not consultation, it is informing people after the event. Note that this is being driven by the Coordinator General, whose main responsibility is for economic development, not by any authority with expertise in national park management.

The cableway was initially proposed in the 2016 Master Plan which was initiated by the tourism industry. It was based on a survey of people with little or no actual experience of Cradle Mountain or the options for access to Dove Lake. The Master Plan did not deserve much credibility but its uncritical endorsement by both major political parties and the Parks & Wildlife Service has already led to the inappropriate and unnecessary viewing shelter on the former Dove Lake carpark (currently under construction; see picture above). The Master Plan has gone unchallenged for far too long but we now have good evidence that the cableway is neither wanted nor needed; a recent visitor survey conducted on behalf of PWS (see below) shows very high levels of satisfaction with both the shuttle bus service and the entire experience of visiting the Cradle Mountain area.

Why then is the state government so keen to proceed? The $30 million promised specifically for the cableway by the federal government in the heat of the 2018 Braddon by-election campaign came with strings attached. It is to be provided through the Community Development Grants Programme which requires the cableway to meet criteria on benefits, viability and sustainability before a decision can be made on providing the funds. The Transportation Study which is supposed to provide this justification has been ‘just a few months away’ for several years. Could it be that the federal government has told the state that it’s time to make its case for the funding or miss out? Could it be that the state government can’t bear the thought of missing out on federal funding, even if it is for a project that is neither wanted nor needed and can only detract from the natural qualities of Tasmania’s greatest national park?

A new shuttle bus terminal was constructed in 2020 as part of the new Visitor Centre and McDermott’s Coaches have invested in a new fleet of buses, specifically for the Cradle shuttle. These investments suggest that the cableway concept had been abandoned, only to resurface recently.

Cradle Mountain Shuttle Bus Visitor Survey

The PWS Cradle Mountain Shuttle Bus and Visitor Survey indicated most visitors were pretty happy with their entire experience of visiting the Cradle Mountain area and there is scope for increasing the capacity of the shuttle bus service if this is considered desirable. This professional survey of 600 actual visitors to Cradle Mountain was conducted in early 2021. Its main findings are very high levels of satisfaction with the shuttle bus service:

  • 97% of respondents were ‘satisfied’ with the shuttle bus service;
  • Of these, 89% of respondents were ‘very satisfied’ with the shuttle bus service.

In addition, 87% of respondents reported that their trip to Cradle Mountain (in its entirety) had “met” or “exceeded” their expectations.  The most frequently mentioned explanations for these levels of satisfaction included “beautiful/ good views/ scenery/ nature”.  “Good walks/ walking tracks” were also frequently mentioned.

At their meeting on 19 June 2021, the Friends of Cradle Valley (TNPA is a member) were briefed on this survey by the PWS Regional Manager. A full copy of the report was supplied a few days later (without any caveats) following a request from a member of the Friends group.

At the same briefing it was mentioned that there is scope for increasing the capacity of the shuttle bus service if this is considered desirable. The construction of three additional passing bays on the road (a minimal impact) would allow several additional buses to operate simultaneously.

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Key points

• The proposed development will drastically alter the landscape, existing walking trails and undermine the natural and cultural values represented in the area’s World Heritage Listing.
• Existing track and bus access to Dove Lake is adequate and visitor feedback on the new bus system is overwhelmingly positive, making the cableway unnecessary.
• The potential damage to existing tourism businesses that operate in the area the proposed route will follow.
• We feel the proposed development will damage Tasmania’s tourism brand and detract from the true wonder of the area.
• The proposed $60 million allocated could be better spent on other projects within Tasmania’s national parks to conserve vulnerable areas and provide incredible experiences to visitors for years to come.
Further information
Photo credit: artist impression, Cumulus Studio