Tassie businessman’s big ideas for Mac Point
An esteemed Tasmanian businessman has some big ideas for Hobart’s ‘derelict’ Macquarie Point site – see what he reckons >>
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Hobart’s “derelict” Macquarie Point site should be turned into a massive car park with shopping malls, hotels and a base for a cable car to Knocklofty and Mount Wellington, a leading Tasmanian businessman says.
Bob Clifford, AO, the founder and chairman of Incat said Macquarie Point should be a “focal point” for thousands of cruise ship visitors and include a transport interchange.
“First of all, it needs a massive car park because this would be the interchange for people getting out of their cars and going to the city and getting back into their cars after visiting the supermarkets and other shops to go home.
“Plus, it’s an interchange for all the buses. I think a steam train is highly desirable to run for the tourists.”
Mr Clifford believes the cruise ship industry is growing and Hobart is an attractive port as Melbourne and Sydney become more congested.
“The cruise ships are literally only 200 yards away and I think we’re going to have an average of a cruise ship a day, very shortly.
“There’s hundreds on new cruise ships being built. That business is not going away with people in Hobart like it or not.
“They bring an average of say 2000 people a day, potentially 10,000 people a week.
“We need that and we need somewhere for them to go – we need a focal point.
Macquarie Point will be a principal reason the cruise ships include Hobart in their schedules, he says.
Mr Clifford also envisages on the site’s western boundary a large four star multi story hotel topped by a cable car terminal.
“I think the cable car has merit but it doesn’t have merit hiding behind the Cascades because people have got to go up Macquarie Street or Davey Street to get to it and that’s a problem.
“Macquarie Point.and the mountain go together – a little bit like Sydney Harbour has got the bridge and it’s got the Opera House.
“Cable car passengers will first travel to Knocklofty (West Hobart) where they have the choice of alighting to visit the restaurants, cafes and fun park, or continuing on to the mountain.”
Under his bold plans extensive shopping malls above the car parks would cover much of the site.
“Above the shopping malls will be open entertainment areas, and play grounds, bordered by workers accommodation units and at least three budget hotels.
“Hotels, shopping malls, transport interchange, and cable car, what more could we want. It’s a no-brainer.”
Mr Clifford said nothing much had happened on the site since Incat had a shed there 25 years ago.
He was not critical of the government or chief executive Mary Massina who has just stepped down because “they had a difficult job to do”.
“It’s a derelict area but there’s been a lot of recovery of the ground, it certainly was contaminated.”
Mr Clifford was unsure whether Tasmania could afford a proposed AFL stadium unless it was without a roof.
“If we’re going to have it, I question whether it needs a roof. There’s only one or two roofs in the whole of Australia.”
State Development Minister Guy Barnett has announced the Macquarie Point Development Corporation is seeking three new board members.
He said the site was now “almost fully remediated”.
“Developments of this nature are very complex and take many years,” Mr Barnett said.
Originally published as Tassie businessman’s big ideas for Mac Point
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