Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds says better infrastructure is needed on kunanyi/ Mt Wellington

From power at the springs, to the lookout at the pinnacle, there’s a lot of room for improvement at one of Hobart’s most popular landmarks, according to the mayor. What she says is needed.

Snow on kunanyi/Mount Wellington. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

A complete overhaul of infrastructure is needed on kunanyi, Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds says, and she believes conversations also need to be had about new transport solutions for the mountain.

Ms Reynolds there was a list of improvements needed.

“One of the lookouts at the top needs to be rebuilt, we need to upgrade the pinnacle toilets, there’s lots of ongoing track work that needs to constantly be improved,” she said.

“The pinnacle’s one part of the picture, it’s not the only part of the picture.

“Having better power options at the springs … we need a better solution to power than a diesel generator, we need to upgrade the springs toilets.

“We really need to think creatively about how we implement some of the upgrades.”

Lord Mayor of Hobart Anna Reynolds. Picture: Chris Kidd

She hoped the Wellington Park Management Trust would turn its focus to the infrastructure needs.

The Hobart City Council is one of six groups represented on the board of the trust.

“[kunanyi] is the most highly visited natural place in the state,” Ms Reynolds said.

“We’ve got a beautiful place locals love, that tourists love and it deserves to have really beautiful infrastructure.

“We have to keep trying to work together better than we have been in the past as the Wellington Trust partners.”

Ms Reynolds said there was also a need to improve transport up the mountain, but she said talks had stalled because of the proposed cable car.

The Mount Wellington Cableway Company’s application for a cable car was rejected in 2021, a decision upheld by a tribunal in 2022.

Artists impression of the proposed development of a cable car on Mt Wellington / kunanyi by MWCC.

“It’s basically put on hold any sensible park planning for the mountain for a decade because we couldn’t really put forward any projects that didn’t involve one particular group’s cable car,” she said.

“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

Ms Reynolds said it was now time to look at other options for the mountain.

“I’ve said to the state government, rather than them backing one option which has previously failed to get planning approval, why don’t we put out an expression of interest to see what sort of options are out there for transport operators, who can improve and provide more transport options for people wanting to go to the mountain,” she said.

“I know, for example, some of the bus operators have a vision of increasing their services, but they would like there to be somewhere like the Halls Saddle for people to get their buses from, rather than having to get them from the city.

“It would be good to do some more work in that space, thinking about the best, cheapest, simplest, easiest to implement transport improvements on the mountains.”