There is a welcome development regarding the cable car which is planned for Mt Wellington (kunanyi). It has been long resisted by local residents.
The Tasmanian Planning Commission has recently announced the findings of a review it had carried out into the planning process. It found that there had been significant problems in the planning process around this development. It is now up to the Wellington Park Management Trust to decide whether to rezone the development boundary on the pinnacle in order to allow for a commercial ‘pinnacle centre’ to be located just above the organ pipes and a cable car on the face of Mt Wellington.
There is a proposal for a cable car on Mt Wellington/ kunanyi in Hobart. The Wellington Park Management Trust or WPMT have recently approved the extension to the Pinnacle Specific Area (the area open to development on top of the mountain). The Tasmanian Planning Commission is currently reviewing the Wellington Park Management Trust’s decision to extend the Pinnacle Specific Area, and the next option open to the community is to ask the Tasmanian Planning Commission to hold public hearings regarding this decision.
Residents Opposed to the Cable Car (ROCC) doesn’t believe the WPMT have adequately considered the representations made to them regarding the extension of the Pinnacle Specific Area, and has written to the TPC and the Hobart City Council asking them to hold public hearings. ROCC is asking concerned people to also contact the Tasmanian Planning Commission and urge them to hold public hearings. Numbers really matter and we need all the people who really care to stand up and be counted.
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Come and hear what the boundary change to the Pinnacle Specific Area really means and how it will affect the mountain. Learn how to make your submission to the Wellington Park Management Trust most effective.
This is impressive. A remarkable group of climbers have joined together to express their opposition to the proposed cable car development on Mt Wellington/ kunanyi in Hobart. There are some real luminaries of the climbing world signed on, and this will help bring international attention to this ridiculous project.
The following is an update on the threat to Mt Wellington/kunanyi posed by a proposed cable car. It is a press release from Residents Opposed to the Cable Car (ROCC) Media Release, originally posted on Tasmanian Times.
The Wellington Park Management Trust has today announced an increase in the size of the proposed development at the top of the mountain, at the Pinnacles.
A CABLE car on Mt Wellington is a step closer as the public is called to comment on extending the summit’s development zone.
The Wellington Park Management Trust has agreed to evaluate the proposal to enlarge the Pinnacle Specific Area, which allows development.
The Mt Wellington Cableway Co requested the boundary be moved to accommodate a cable car.
Trust chair Christine Mucha said it did not mean the trust was supporting any particular development.
The change would extend the area by about 60m east of the observation shelter.
Dr Mucha said that after consultation, the trust would prepare a report for the Tasmanian Planning Commission.
“While we recognise the strong sentiment against the potential for future development in the Pinnacle Specific Area, the trust believes that the management plan enables such proposals to be considered and assessed in accordance with the performance standards contained in the plan,’’ Dr Mucha said.
MWCC project lead Adrian Bold said it was a positive step.
“We’re following proper process. They had to agree with our rationale. Now there will be a process that involves the public,’’ Mr Bold said.
He said enlarging the boundary was extra work but would mean the cable car would have less visual impact.
Residents Opposed to the Cable Car spokesman Ted Cutlan said he was appalled at the trust’s “rubber stamp’’.
“They’re bending the management plan to fit the development,’’ Mr Cutlan said.
“This is one step along the way. The developer has to put in a development application that would fit the plan.’’
The saga of the cable car planned for Mt Wellington/ Kunanyi, above Hobart, continues, with the revelation that some sections of the towers would be 75 metres high.
Respect The Mountain were shocked to learn the heights of the towers for Section 2 of the proposed Cable Car development. Images supplied to Respect The Mountain show heights up to 75m for the development – greater in height than Tasmania’s tallest building, Wrest Point Casino.
The heights are marked on a plan labeled ‘Line Profile – Section 2’ with majority shareholder, Bullwheel IC3’s logo prominently featured in the top right corner.
Spokesperson Jason Turvey, questioned why the heights were hidden from the public. “Mt Wellington Cableway Co (MWCC) were more than happy to disclose technical data such as cabin capacity figures, rope diameters, travel times and speeds, as well as the length of the cable car and elevation so it seems odd that they would leave of information about the heights of the towers when obviously they had that information available.”
The three towers vary between 36 to 75m in height. The first tower in South Hobart will be 75m, the second 45m and the tower above the Organ Pipes will be 36m. The current Observation Shelter at the summit is approximately 5.5m in height
“The heights are enormous! To give perspective it’s like having a Wrest Point Tower (73m), followed by a Hydro Tasmania building (47m) and then a Marine Board Building (39m) sitting above the Organ Pipes.”
It is suspected that the heights were not revealed to the public for fear of further damaging their ‘social licence’ which has recently come under scrutiny.
The following update comes from the Hobart group Respect the Mountain, who are concerned about plans to build a cable car up Mt Mount Wellington/ Kunanyi (check here for some background).
Dangerous precedent to be discussed at Hobart City Council meeting on 28th April
April 25, 2014
A dangerous precedent is to be discussed at the Hobart City Council meeting in Town Hall on Monday 28th April at 5pm.
Mount Wellington Cableway Co. (MWCC) is hoping that council will grant landowner permission to extend the boundary of the Pinnacle Zone without any indication of what will be built in the area between the lookout and the top of the Organ Pipes.
Currently the area below the lookout platforms are protected from development. If the MWCC gets their way, then panaromic views from the top of the mountain could be marred by cables protruding beneath them.
This has the potential to set very a dangerous precedent for any future development on the mountain. Without any plans or specifications provided to council, the proponent is asking the City of Hobart to blindly provide permission to develop outside of established development zone. If the Hobart City Council agrees to this request, then it sets a precedent for any further proposals to be able to design wherever they want on the mountain!
MWCC are also yet to reveal exactly what they plan to build on the summit. Apart from a cableway station, other potential buildings that have been discussed include restaurants, cafes, visitor centre, accommodation, and an ampitheatre/function centre. This would form an enormous footprint on the fragile alpine environment and naturally wouldn’t all fit within the current development zone.
It is our belief that the cable car is being used to cloak an enormous development at the pinnacle.
Revelations at the MWCC breakfast launch just before Easter focused mostly on what they had planned on Cascade Brewerys land. Very little was mentioned about what was planned for the summit other than MWCC planned to fly an open-top cable car over the Organ Pipes.
Current revelations of plans are eerily similar to the 1993 Skyway plans that was to start at Cascades and used an aerial tram to travel to the summit where a restaurant and ski field were to be erected.
Respect The Mountain is calling on all concerned residents of Hobart to contact their Aldermen over the long weekend via mobile or email to register their concern before Monday’s meeting. Contact details are available on Respect The Mountain’s Facebook page, Twitter account and website. Alternatively, members of the public can attend the meeting at Town Hall at 5pm.
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The long running campaign to ‘open’ the mountain to major commercial development is now one step closer to fruition. For some background on the issue, check here and here.
there is already substantial viewing infrastructure on the mountain
Mt Wellington opens for development under new management plan
MT Wellington is open for business, with a new management plan allowing for a wide range of commercial development, including a controversial cable car.
The Wellington Park Management Plan, which took effect this week, opens the gates to commercial development at the pinnacle and The Springs.
The tourism industry has welcomed the potential for new drawcards at the Hobart landmark, which attracts more than 350,000 visitors every year.
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania boss Luke Martin said the plan was “overdue, historic and very welcome”.
“It creates the possibility of a whole series of new markets on the top and at The Springs,” Mr Martin said.
The plan allows for a visitor centre, interpretation centre, viewing shelter cafe, restaurant and take-away food premises, bus terminal, council depot, shuttle buses, cable cars and aerial ropeways, and funicular rail and cable-rail systems.
There has been no commercial development on the mountain since a health spa and chalet were destroyed by bushfire at The Springs in 1967.
Mr Martin said there was great potential for tourism development on the pinnacle.
“We have 350,000 tourists going to the summit each year, with no economic activity out of them,” he said.
“There is a market for something on the summit to vastly improve what’s there now.
“Even if the cable car doesn’t happen, we will still get something.” Environment, Parks and Heritage Minister Brian Wightman said the plan allowed for a range of developments in the park, including a cable car.
“The new plan strongly promotes the development of new visitor services and infrastructure on Mt Wellington, but also ensures its special values are protected,” he said.
Developments specifically allowed at The Springs include a backpacker hostel, bed and breakfast establishment, holiday cabin, residential hotel, walkers bunkhouse/hut and cable-rail systems.
While the plan allows for commercial development at The Springs and the pinnacle, Wellington Park Management Trust chairwoman Christine Mucha said the trust preferred major development to be centered at The Springs.
“We would like to see The Springs developed and Hobart City Council would like to see it developed,” she said.
“It is the central point to start walks and bikes and it is lacking facilities.” Hobart developer Ali Sultan’s approval for a visitor centre, restaurant and carparking at The Springs expires next month.
Hobart Lord Mayor Damon Thomas said no one could do anything at The Springs until that lapsed.
“The playing field opens up but not until that happens,” Ald Thomas said.
The new plan was “a big step forward,” Ms Mucha said.
“It was two years in the making and before the Planning Commission for nine months.
It’s not just about Mt Wellington, it’s the whole mountain range, Glenorchy and crown land.” Greens environment spokeswoman Cassy O’Connor said talk of development on the pinnacle was disturbing.
“It’s disappointing and disturbing to hear the state’s Environment Minister talking up inappropriate development such as a cable car on Mt Wellington,” she said.
“Brian Wightman knows very well that any cable car on the mountain would damage its natural and cultural values.”
Cable car proponent Adrian Bold said his group had waited for the plan to be ratified before taking the next step with their cable car vision.
They will have a proposal launch next month, a second round of public consultation and the plans before the council by mid-year, he said.
“We are very excited the plan is finally ratified,” he said.
“Buoyed by the removal of the Wellington Park Management Trust’s veto power last week, the man behind Mt Wellington’s proposed cable car project hopes it will be up and running by 2017.
In State Parliament on Wednesday, the Labor Party supported legislation introduced by the Liberals aimed at removing the trust’s power to veto developments on the mountain.
Proposed developments will still need to go through the regular council planning approvals. But the legislation has given new hope to Mt Wellington Cableway Company executive director Adrian Bold, who said the controversial $37 million project would be funded private Canadian investors”.
Greens environment spokeswoman Cassy O’Connor said
“The bottom line is that we’ve never seen a cable car proposal come forward that is viable, that is economically sound, and that has overwhelming public support.
“I think we can do better for the mountain. Yes, I think we should have a sensible discussion about development on the summit … but a cable car is not the answer.”
I recently met with Sky Rail owner and consultant Dr Ken Chapman in Cairns and he described the business case for a cable car on Mount Wellington as very complicated and far from certain to be economically viable.
Any serious push for a Mount Wellington cable car has in the past resulted in community division. In 1984 there was a serious push for a cable car and again in 1993 and on both occasions there was no economic backing, the project was not viable and the cable car was put aside.
There is, of course, diversity of opinion, even amongst people that aren’t just of the ‘develop at all costs’ mind set. One example comes from writer Susan Moore:
“I reckon if more people can experience the beauty of Hobart from the top it would be a good thing. Aside from the tourists, I think it would be a popular option for people who want to go up the top and walk or mountain bike down or take the kids to play in the snow. Maybe, like some Swiss ski resorts, Mount Wellington could even become car-free?”
I tend to feel this is a bit hopeful, as any attempt to close the mountain would create an up roar amongst car advocacy groups and push people that want to get up the mountain without walking or riding into having to pay a private developer for the privilege of getting there.
Once the Tasmanian Planning Commission ratify the proposed WPMT 2012-2017 management plan, MWCC can initiate the next steps ahead, including a comprehensive technical analysis and environmental impact study to identify the most appropriate system, route, amenities and location for the project.
Once evaluated, MWCC can continue design work towards submitting a formal proposal, bringing the Concept Stage to a close.
Details on the WPMP (Wellington Park Management Plan) can be found here.
With both the Liberals and ALP voting to remove the Wellington Park Management Trust’s veto power over developments, the cable car proposal is getting closer.
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