Mount Wellington Cableway Company forced to apologise to professor over brochure quote

THE company behind the proposal for a cable car to the top of kunanyi/Mt Wellington has apologised to a professor they misrepresented in a glossy brochure.

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

THE company behind the proposal for a cable car to the top of kunanyi/Mt Wellington has apologised to a UTAS professor they misrepresented in a glossy brochure.

The Mount Wellington Cableway Company came under fire on social media earlier this week for quoting the University’s centre of environment director in the booklet without referencing a name or time.

The centre closed in June but the company fired back on Twitter saying the quote was sourced from an interview in May.

The brochure, distributed to thousands of households across Hobart, quoted former director Professor Ted Lefroy on the project’s prospects.

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Professor Ted Lefroy.

“Environmental footprint per person would be a lot smaller than cars if you look at the energy footprint and carbon footprint,” it said.

But on Friday the company apologised to Prof Lefroy in the Mercury classifieds for not covering his full views on the project and giving the impression he supported the proposal.

“The extract was limited to reproducing Prof Lefroy’s comments concerning the potential environmental footprint of a cableway,” the company said.

“Prof Lefroy has requested that it be pointed out that his comments as to environmental footprint were only a part of his comments to the interviewer which also includes his opinion regarding MWCC’s lack of social licence.

“The company would like to apologise to Prof Lefroy for the extract used not covering his full views and the impression that he supported MWCC’s proposal.”

In the same interview from where the quote was taken, Prof Lefroy said he had no objection to the idea provided the company gained a social licence.

“The cable car company would probably have to drop this proposal or at least start all over again because they got off on the wrong foot,” he said.

“They don’t have a social licence.

“They should have identified representative groups who are likely to find it confronting and talk to them first.”

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When asked about the controversy on Friday, Environment Minister Elise Archer said the State Government had supported the project from the start.

“Of course that is to ensure it goes through all of the proper processes, the planning system, the approval process and that is a matter of course for the Hobart City Council,” she said.

“The Government remains supportive of the benefits of a cable car to tourism in Tasmania.”

In August, Hobart aldermen voted against any cable car infrastructure being built on any council land.

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