Hobart City Council looks at all-weather shuttle service for Mt Wellington

THE days of the summit of kunanyi/Mt Wellington being closed to the public because of poor weather could soon be a thing of the past.

Chilean tourists Maria French Davis, 26, left, and Marcela Martinez, 28, grab a selfie at the summit of Mount Wellington. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

THE days of poor weather closing access to the summit of kunanyi/Mt Wellington could soon be over.

The Hobart City Council will seek proposals for an all-weather shuttle bus to run from the city to the summit of the mountain.

The council says it is not trying to get in ahead of the proposed mountain cable car, but rather is seeking a solution to problems accessing the attraction. About 500,000 people visit the mountain each year and the number is growing.

Last year snow and ice forced 21 days of closures of Pinnacle Rd as part of a council policy of pre-emptive road closures if snow was expected to fall overnight.

Snow forces the closure of the road to the Mt Wellington pinnacle.

At a meeting of Hobart Council’s parks and recreation committee on Thursday, aldermen will vote whether to give general manager Nick Heath the go ahead to liaise with Wellington Park Management Trust. Expressions of interest would then be called for private operators to provide an all-weather shuttle bus service up and down the mountain.

The goal is for a year-round service between the city and the summit — stopping at Fern Tree Park, The Springs and the Chalet — to address the pressures that increased traffic is causing on the mountain and to allow people to reach the summit when snow shuts Pinnacle Rd.

Parks and recreation committee chair Alderman Anna Reynolds said it was an idea whose time had come.

“We have to find a practical solution now, not wait for any other project,” she said.

“We won’t know the demand or market for it until we ask. I think it’s the type of service that people have been calling out for.”

Right now a shuttle bus runs up to the summit of the mountain when weather permits. Tickets for adults are $30, children $20.

Prices for the proposed all-weather service would become clearer after a private contractor is hired.

The selection process is planned to start by the end of this month. It is expected to take about a month to six weeks to complete — meaning the all-weather bus could be operational in time for this winter.

Visitors begin the walk up Pinnacle Rd from The Springs after the road was closed.

Allowing people to get to the summit when the snow falls and closes Pinnacle Rd, and taking cars off the increasingly strained road have been cited as key reasons why the Mt Wellington cable car should be approved.

Ald Reynolds said the proposed bus service was not about subverting the cable car proposal.

“It’s really independent of that whole discussion because we need to maintain the mountain right now,” she said.

Cable car proponent Adrian Bold said he had no comment to make over the latest move by the council, but said he would watch what happened with interest.

He said the cable car project was still on track with plans to lodge a development application with the council this year.

“Everything is on track. We are really engaged with our design team which is working hard,” Mr Bold said.

Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said if there was a market for an all-weather shuttle bus then it was an idea worth pursuing.

“Anything that allows us to have access up the mountain will be great,” he said.