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Tasmania

‘Ecosystem collapse’ threatens Alpine Ash and Pencil Pines

The news is really scary at present. Here are a couple of examples:

  • Climate change has helped melt nearly a fifth of Colombia’s mountaintop glacier cover in just seven years
  • As a record-breaking heat wave scorches Sweden, dozens of wildfires are raging in parts of the country. At least 11 fires within the Arctic Circle. As one researcher put it: “This is definitely the worst year in recent times for forest fires,”
  • Meanwhile many places in the Northern Hemisphere have witnessed their hottest temperatures ever recorded.

Closer to home, research recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change describes a series of ‘sudden and catastrophic ecosystem shifts’ that have occurred recently across Australia. These changes, caused by the combined stress of gradual climate change and extreme weather events, are overwhelming ecosystems’ natural resilience.

While coverage of this research has tended to focus on the impacts on the Great Barrier Reef, other examples – about Gondwanic forests in Tasmania and Alpine Ash forests in the Australian Alps – should be a wake up call for people concerned about mountain environments.

Continue reading “‘Ecosystem collapse’ threatens Alpine Ash and Pencil Pines” →

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Help stop planned ‘helicopter tourism’ in the Walls of Jerusalem

Tasmania is blessed with beautiful and intact landscapes and an impressive network of national parks. However, World Heritage Areas and national parks have long been targeted by developers who want to establish commercial tourist operations in a number of places (check here for a current list of proposed developments). One of these proposals would see helicopter tourism inside the Walls of Jerusalem National Park in central Tasmania at Halls Island in Lake Malbena.

You have a chance to say NO to this development.

Continue reading “Help stop planned ‘helicopter tourism’ in the Walls of Jerusalem” →

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CUB rules out providing land to cable car on Mt Wellington/ kunanyi

The long running campaign to stop the development of a cable car up the face of Mt Wellington/ kunanyi in Hobart just had a fantastic victory. The owners of the Cascade Brewery, whose land is needed for the project to be viable in it’s current form, have ruled out selling or leasing land to the proponent.

Continue reading “CUB rules out providing land to cable car on Mt Wellington/ kunanyi” →

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Construction of cable car at Dove Lake one step closer

There has been a long public debate about the re-development of the northern end of the Cradle Mountain Lakes St Clair national park. The Tasmanian government has previously approved a revitalisation of facilities, which will see a new “gateway precinct” for the park. This will happen outside the park boundary and is generally not seen as being contentious.

What is more contested is a proposal to build a cable car from the new ‘gateway precinct’ to Dove Lake.

It has now been announced that the government is “sounding out interests for a public-private partnership to undertake the redevelopment of the Cradle Mountain visitor centre, as part of its potentially $160 million “Cradle Mountain Master Plan” to give the area a much-needed facelift”.

Continue reading “Construction of cable car at Dove Lake one step closer” →

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Music for the Mountain

The campaign against the cable car that has been proposed for Mt Wellington/ kunanyi is going from strength to strength. From a huge rally (more than 5,000 people) to overwhelming public opinion opposing the project, there is a growing sense that common sense will prevail and the proposal will be abandoned. The next big point in the campaign is getting close – Carlton and United Brewery (CUB), who own the Cascade brewery site, need to announce whether they will provide land for the cable car.

On Saturday August 4 there will be a fund raiser in Hobart to support the campaign.

Continue reading “Music for the Mountain” →

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UNESCO concerned at TAS Gov rezoning wilderness areas to allow development

Tasmania is blessed with beautiful and intact landscapes and excellent protection of much of the state. World Heritage Areas and national parks have long been coveted by developers and these attempts to open up parks to commercial interests have been resisted – with varying degrees of success – over the years.

Under the current very pro ‘development’ Liberal government in Tasmania there are no end of proposals for private developments in national parks and other parts of the conservation network (check here for a current list).

This is being resisted strongly by many in the Tasmanian community and it is now being criticised internationally.

Continue reading “UNESCO concerned at TAS Gov rezoning wilderness areas to allow development” →

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Mt Wellington cable car proposal hits another hurdle

As shown by the enormous rally held earlier this month, there is significant public opposition to the plan to build a cable up the face of kunayi/ Mt Wellington, in Hobart.

The owners of the Cascade Brewery have been under pressure to distance themselves from the project, as the proponent has been hoping to access land owned by Cascade in South Hobart to use as the base for the cable car.

It would appear that the proponent is now seeking to use a different route up the mountain. They have been informed that they will need reapply for government approval if they decide to do so.

Continue reading “Mt Wellington cable car proposal hits another hurdle” →

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SnowAction heads to Tassie

The southern winter edition of SnowAction (‘Australia’s #1 magazine for snow sports and mountain culture’) has some great stories from Tasmania.

There are excellent stories from a big roadtrip to NZ/Aotearoa, great powder images from Hotham, a piece on the more serious side country terrain at Mt Buller, and skiing in Chile, plus profiles on Chumpy Pallin and film maker Warren Miller. There is also substantial coverage of Tassie’s two resorts.

Continue reading “SnowAction heads to Tassie” →

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Mt Olympus traverse

The Olympus Range is in central Tasmania in the southern end of the Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park. It is the range that runs along the western shore of Lake St Clair and stands high above the surrounding plains and poses quite a challenge to approach.

The range has two key summits (Mt Olympus north and south, of similar height), some beautiful lakes and stands of deciduous beech, and should be on the list for any serious mountain enthusiast who enjoys a challenging walk.

There are some track  notes for the traverse available here.

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Opposition to Mt Wellington cable car keeps growing

The community campaign against the cable car that has been proposed for kunayi/ Mt Wellington in Hobart is going from strength to strength.

Here is a summary of what’s happened in the past week.

Continue reading “Opposition to Mt Wellington cable car keeps growing” →

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New hut opened at Frenchmans Cap

Lake Tahune sits beneath the main face of Frenchmans Cap in south west Tasmania and the hut, nestled slightly above the lake, can be a real God send in bad conditions. While the old hut certainly did the job of providing a dry space to gather and sleep in an often cold and wet place, it was as if it was designed to ignore its surroundings.

This new one is certainly a lot nicer looking and it honours the magnificent terrain it is located in, with much larger windows and lots more natural light.

Continue reading “New hut opened at Frenchmans Cap” →

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Mountain May Day

It’s crunch time in the campaign to stop the cable car up the face of kunanyi/ Mt Wellington. The proposal is being fast tracked by the Tasmanian government (background here).

If you’ll be anywhere near Hobart on Sunday 6th May please join this event and show your opposition to the desecration of the mountain.

Meet at 11am, Cascade Gardens, South Hobart.

Speakers include Bob Brown, Denison MP Andrew Wilkie, Richard Flanagan, Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and others.

The Cable Car Company have said that ‘public opposition is virtually non existent’.

Put it in your calendar! Please share this event. More details coming.

Facebook event page here (has full details on the location).

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