Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds pushing for kunanyi/Mount Wellington parking and bus hub at Halls Saddle
A long-dormant proposal for a visitor hub on kunanyi/Mount Wellington is beginning to show signs of life again, with Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds saying it could be “something quite special”.
Tasmania
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Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds has renewed a push for a parking and bus precinct at Halls Saddle on kunanyi/Mount Wellington, saying it could be “something quite special” and serve as a base for people looking to enjoy Hobart’s premier natural attraction.
In 2020, the Hobart City Council scrapped plans to build a visitor centre at The Springs in favour of investigating the council-owned land at Halls Saddle on Huon Rd as a potential location for the facility instead.
A council report found that the Ridgeway land would be suitable for a visitor hub, including a cafe, mountain bike facilities, and a lookout, as well as 285 parking spaces and a bus interchange.
It recommended that the council seek $5.7m in external funding but the proposal has since fallen dormant.
The decision by planning authorities to reject the controversial cable car project in 2022, however, has led to fresh debate over infrastructure needs on kunanyi/Mount Wellington.
Ms Reynolds said the council was currently shouldering too great a responsibility for managing the mountain as an asset and that the state government needed to provide more support, particularly in regards to visitor infrastructure.
Hobart City Council has two representatives on the Wellington Park Management Trust, which is an independent authority responsible for managing the park. The state government, meanwhile, has three representatives, while Glenorchy City Council and TasWater each have one.
Ms Reynolds said she would be working this year to “reinvigorate” the Halls Saddle proposal, which has been mooted as a possible solution to capacity issues on the mountain.
“Our land at Halls Saddle could provide a parking/bus hub to give people an option to park just outside [Wellington Park] and take a bus to the various places around the mountain to experience different walks and places,” Ms Reynolds said.
“It’s such a sensible place to develop because it’s cleared council-owned land and it’s close to town power and water services. It’s a great place to develop something quite special.
“I’d love to see us work with the palawa community and the tourism sector to create a new precinct.”
According to the Tasmanian Visitor Survey, kunanyi/Mount Wellington is the state’s most visited natural site and the second-most visited tourist attraction, with about 500,000 people flocking to it each year.
Residents Opposed to the Cable Car spokesman Ted Cutlan said a lack of sufficient access to the mountain was the biggest infrastructure issue in Wellington Park.
“I think a serious look at the Halls Saddle proposal makes a lot of sense. It solves a lot of the issues. We could have non-stop buses,” he said.
Rachael Jack, who is currently visiting Hobart from Melbourne, went up the mountain on the privately operated shuttle bus on Friday and said it was a “really good service”.
However, she said the visitor infrastructure at the summit left something to be desired.
“You’re looking at this expansive view of Tasmania and you’re trying to figure out what you’re seeing, which islands are which,” she said. “I did think that information like that was a bit lacking.”
A state government spokeswoman said the Rockliff government was supporting a strategic review of the mountain’s management and was “working with Trust member agencies” to advance this.
The Mount Wellington Cableway Company was contacted for comment.
KUNANYI/MOUNT WELLINGTON TOURISTS ON THEIR EXPERIENCE:
Stacey Smith, Melbourne:
“The bike ride that we planned with Tasmanian Mountain Bike Adventures took us … to the summit trail and the Pipeline Track.”
“[Our guide] was pointing out the conditions of the sections [of the road] on our way up [the mountain]. [She was] pointing out areas to look out for. You could see potholes here, and this section there was recently [upgraded] so it was a lot smoother. So we had that education about the road and the safety aspects of what to look out for.”
Kerry Costello, St Helens:
“We went up the Pinnacle Track and the Zig Zag Track and then back down and down through the Organ Pipes.”
“I think [the infrastructure] is set up so well as it is. Just the signage that they have out showing all the different tracks at so many different junctions that you come through. I think it just makes it so clear where to go. And then the observation centre at the top, that’s an epic experience. I love the way it’s set up right now, to be honest. It’s beautiful.”
Marie Terzic, Melbourne:
I thought it was nice to have a more nature-centric experience where you just park your car and go out to the [walking] tracks. I don’t [see] the need for something more polished.
Originally published as Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds pushing for kunanyi/Mount Wellington parking and bus hub at Halls Saddle
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