kunanyi/Mount Wellington strategic review: Concerns grow over state government’s ‘motives’
A “flood” of people are expected to attend a public meeting about the state government’s strategic review of kunanyi/Mount Wellington, with fears over the potential resurrection of the cable car to loom large over the discussion.
Tasmania
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Hobartians concerned about the potential “motives” behind the state government’s strategic review of kunanyi/Mount Wellington are predicted to “flood” a public meeting organised by the newly formed Friends of the Mountain coalition.
But the politician overseeing the review, Business, Resources and Industry Minister Eric Abetz, has accused the group of launching a “scaremongering campaign”.
The Liberals announced the review in May and it is being administered by the Department of State Growth.
Public consultation is under way as the government canvasses the views of the community regarding the future of transport, recreation, visitor infrastructure, and cultural and educational experiences on the mountain.
The decision to launch a review has ignited fears that the failed cable car proposal could be resurrected as part of changes to the way the mountain is managed.
Friends of the Mountain, an alliance of community groups including the Tasmanian National Parks Association (TNPA), the Tasmanian Conservation Trust (TCT), and the Wilderness Society, has organised a meeting at the Fern Tree Community Hall on Sunday at 4pm, where it will discuss its concerns with those in attendance.
“It’s time for a new vision for the mountain’s future but it must be one that protects all the values of the mountain and addresses the expectations of the full range of visitors, not just a sham justification for additional infrastructure development,” TNPA president Nick Sawyer said.
TCT chief executive Peter McGlone said he was “terrified” that the Liberals may seek to use their proposed development assessment panels (DAPs), which would take certain planning decisions away from councils, to “bring the cable car back”.
Legislation to introduce the DAPs passed the lower house on Thursday, despite opposition from all 29 councils, with the government saying the move would “take the politics out of planning”.
“After Thursday’s events in parliament, I think we’re probably going to see a flood of people coming forward to the meeting on Sunday,” he said.
“If they weren’t already worried about the government, they would be paranoid now.”
Mr Abetz said the Friends of the Mountain “campaign” was “as predictable as it is misinformed” and that “all views are welcome” in the review.
“While groups like the Greens and their allies seem intent on locking up the mountain and restricting access under the guise of preservation, we’re focused on finding solutions that balance protecting its unique values with improving infrastructure and managing growing visitor demand,” he said.
When asked if the DAPs legislation could be used to assess a potential planning application for a cable car in the future, Mr Abetz did not directly answer the question but said the panels were “about … telling Tasmanians if your proposal meets the planning rules, you should get a fair go”.
The government has released a discussion paper for the strategic review of kunanyi/Mount Wellington, with online and written survey submissions currently being accepted until December 4. A final report is expected to be handed down by June 2025 at the latest. You can take the survey at https://mountainreview.tas.gov.au/
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