Mount Wellington Cableway Company’s planning appeal stood down for three weeks for mediation and written submissions
A preliminary hearing into the Mount Wellington Cableway Company’s planning appeal against the Hobart City Council has been held. FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED>>
Tasmania
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- Cable car company takes council to planning tribunal
- Mount Wellington Cable Car Company lodges extra info to Hobart City Council for divisive project
A PLANNING appeal launched by the proponents of the Mt Wellington cable car has been stood down for three weeks as the parties attempt to mediate and find a way forward.
The original development application for the project was lodged with the Hobart City Council in June 2019, with further information supplied in January.
Mount Wellington Cableway Company chair Chris Oldfield previously said the company was now seeking a ruling on whether council requests for more information about the project’s potential impact on Aboriginal heritage breached time limits in the Land Use Planning Assessment Act.
In June, the council sought a “desktop assessment” undertaken by Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania demonstrating there would be no Aboriginal heritage sites affected by the proposed development.
Mr Oldfield said that information was provided to council on October 2 and he was confident it met planning law requirements.
At a directions hearing at the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal on Thursday afternoon, it was agreed to stand the matter down for three weeks to make written submissions and to enable the parties to mediate to see what material might satisfy the council’s request.
Residents Opposed to the Cable Car spokesman Vica Bayley said a desktop analysis of Aboriginal heritage was not detailed enough.
“This is a shocking use of the courts to dodge the need to do a proper Aboriginal heritage survey on kunanyi/Mt Wellington, one of Tasmania’s few landscapes given a duel name because of its significance to Aboriginal heritage,” he said.
“Full release of the information provided to support the cable car DA is needed however, no matter how you look at this, arguing to do the bare minimum when it comes to Aboriginal heritage assessment is an indictment on the proponent, its approach to heritage protection and its capacity to progress a credible project assessment.”
Mr Oldfield said the company was following an agreed process.
“It’s really important that major projects to our state do follow a process and that’s what we’re doing and we look forward to the chance to discuss this further through mediation with council,” Mr Oldfield said.
“We also look forward to the day when the council can release the full development application for the people of Hobart to have input into, as they should.”
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