kunanyi/Mt Wellington cable car proposal delayed by multiple requests for more information by Hobart City Council
The kunanyi/Mt Wellington cable car proposal has been delayed by multiple requests for more information by Hobart City Council.
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ASSESSMENT of the cable car development application is progressing well says the company’s boss, despite multiple requests extra information.
Hobart City Council has made four requests for additional information from the proponent since they lodged their long-awaited plans on June 12.
Mount Wellington Cableway Company chair Chris Oldfield said the requests had been for clarification on visitation numbers and what the plans were for the existing shelter at the summit of kunanyi/Mt Wellington.
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He said council planning officers had also asked for more details on their traffic management plan and the company’s future aspirations to increase mountain bike usage in Wellington Park.
Officers had previously requested further information around the impact on Aboriginal heritage sites, traffic and road status only two days after the application was lodged.
“This is the sort of process and forum we want to be in because this is where the facts are looked at and hopefully devoid of emotion on both sides,” Mr Oldfield said.
“Our aim is to ensure the best outcome for the mountain — I’m sure that’s the aim of council officers as well.
“It’s good to be in a forum and process at the moment where facts rule the day and not simply hyperbole.”
Council have 42 days to determine the outcome of the development application but the clock is paused on the day extra details are sought and doesn’t restart until it is received to their satisfaction.
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The clock is currently paused waiting for more information but it’s not known how many days are left in the process. Once all the extra information requests are dealt with the planning application will be publicly advertised for between 14 and 28 days.
After that an assessment report and recommendation is presented to the city planning committee and then the full council.
But Mr Oldfield said they were a long way from that at the moment.
“It’s not a matter of dealing with them [the requests] quickly, it’s a matter of dealing with them properly,” he said.
“We want to make sure that when we go back to the council we continue our information flow at a level of excellence that we’ve done already.”
Residents Opposed to the Cable Car had already raised concerns on the road status — one of the additional information requests — as the development application indicated the 2.3km access road off McRobies Rd to the proposed base station would be handed to the council, which means ratepayers could be required to fork out the costs for maintenance.
When quizzed, Mr Oldfield said: “We’d be paying for that road to be constructed, and the rest we’ll discuss with council at the appropriate time.”
jack.paynter@news.com.au
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