Council to investigate tourism policy to deal with growing visitors to Hobart and Mount Wellington

HOBART Lord Mayor Ron Christie says any alderman who votes against a motion for a report into tourism in Hobart and on Mt Wellington is a servant of corporate industry and mass tourism.

HOBART City Council will consider developing a long-term visitation policy and strategy to deal with increased tourism to Hobart and kunanyi/Mount Wellington.

Hobart Lord Mayor Ron Christie said any alderman who voted against the motion — to go before the council tonight — is a servant of corporate industry and mass tourism.

Alderman and Greens mayor candidate Bill Harvey is behind the proposal to get the council to investigate strategies to mitigate the negative effects of tourism.

“We need to plan for a future with expanded tourism,” he said.

“I’m not saying we stop tourism.

“But across the world we are seeing local communities affected by mass tourism.

“We are not at that level yet but if we don’t plan then we could be caught short.”

Ald Harvey said the potential effects of mass tourism included:

Pressure on council infrastructure, facilities and services;

An increase in housing shortages and homelessness associated with conversion of permanent housing to short stay; and

Local economies increasingly focused on tourism services rather than provision of local services.

Traffic building up along Pinnacle Rd from people wanting to get to the snow on Mt Wellington.

The proposed policy has won the support of Ald Christie, who has been ringing the alarm bells against mass tourism and the threat it poses to Hobart’s lifestyle for months.

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“With signs of over-tourism already underway in our city, it is time now to act and ensure sustainability of our community lifestyle.

“In one way I feel vindicated for my comments earlier this year and the condemnations received from industry.

“We are seeing communities concerned about hurried and irrational tourism development in areas of the east coast, excessive use of Cradle Mountain and now the growing numbers of cruise ships to our city.”

Tasmania’s peak business and tourism bodies have both slammed Ald Christie’s comments earlier this year that mass tourism could destroy Hobart.

Ald Harvey, who is campaigning on turning Hobart into Australia’s first eco-city by 2030, said kunanyi/Mount Wellington especially needed a visitation strategy as number of tourists continued to grow, putting more pressure on the “fragile alpine environment, biodiversity and water catchment.”