Meeting gets heated as aldermen vote against any cable car infrastructure on council land

MOUNT Wellington Cableway Company says it will push on with its proposal despite the Hobart City Council voting to reject any use of council land for cable car infrastructure.

Hobart City Council aldermen cast their vote to say no to any cable car infrastructure on council land. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

THE Mount Wellington cable car project is destined to be a major election issue after Hobart aldermen voted to reject any use of council land for cable car infrastructure.

The decision does not mean the Mount Wellington Cableway Company cannot lodge a development application, which it now says it will do but most likely after the October local election.

At a heated Hobart City Council meeting on Monday night in front of an at-times rowdy public gallery, aldermen traded barbs over the merits of the parks and recreation committee motion, with Alderman Damon Thomas labelling the discussion on Monday night as “unlawful”.

Alderman Jeff Briscoe’s motion called for no cable car infrastructure to be built on council land, including a proposed 2.5km road to built near the McRobies Gully tip to the base station on the outskirts of Wellington Park.

COMMITTEE SAYS NO INFRASTRUCTURE ON COUNCIL LAND

Aldermen voted 7-4 in favour of the motion with Aldermen Eva Ruzicka, Philip Cocker, Anna Reynolds, Bill Harvey, Helen Burnet, Jeff Briscoe and Hobart Lord Mayor Ron Christie supporting the motion.

Among concerns from aldermen was the construction of the road would endanger the eucalyptus tenuiramis — also known as silver peppermint — and require significant land clearing.

An artist’s impression of the MWCC’s proposed cable car on Mt Wellington/kunanyi.

Ald Christie said he was persuaded by the recommendation of the parks committee.

“I think the MWCC could have presented their request with better information,” he said.

“Particularly when it was mentioned they were going to use an existing fire trail and deviate through bush line.”

Ald Christie said the decision did not close the door on the cable car project and any development application would be assessed by the council as planning authority under a separate process.

MORE CABLE CAR:

THE ROAD: Company to build access road

THE PITCH: Eco pitch for $50m cable car proposal

THE PINNACLE: Big ideas for summit centre

THE MEETING: Call to keep details of project open

After the meeting, cableway company chairwoman Jude Franks said the decision was a setback but it was not the end of the cable car proposal.

“We will push on with our DA,” she said.

Ms Franks said the company would not consider any other sites or routes.

“This is our site. I think we all would understand that this has been a circus and saw the demonstrated bias,” she said.

Ms Franks said the company had applied to the Government for a new authority to carry out geotechnical work on the mountain and was awaiting the outcome of that request.