MWCC director Adrian Bold says trams could make sense if the cable car was built

One of the minds behind the suggestion of a cable up kunanyi/ Mt Wellington has revealed the company has considered the idea of trams in Hobart. His thought bubble.

Mount Wellington Cableway company development director Adrian Bold in 2019. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

As the company behind the push for a cable car to the summit of kunanyi/ Mt Wellington considers how it can proceed with its plan, it’s been revealed it previously considered another major infrastructure project to compliment a controversial project.

The Mount Wellington Cableway Company (MWCC) had hoped to build a cable car, an idea which has divided the public, but its development application was rejected by the Hobart City Council.

In 2022 the decision was appealed but the MWCC was unable to convince a tribunal to overturn the outcome.

Weather. Mt Wellington / kunanyi on a cold Hobart morning. Picture: Richard Jupe Organ Pipes / cable car / cold weather / summit

On social media last month, the company teased the idea of trams in Hobart to compliment a cable car.

“Imagine boarding Hobart’s restored heritage trams from the waterfront, weaving their way up Collins St, alongside the rivulet track to explore the Cascades, Female Factory and our base station,” the company said on its Facebook page.

Mount Wellington Cableway company development director Adrian Bold told the Mercury the idea was only a suggestion.

“At this stage it’s just an idea to provide a transport solution from the waterfront to our base station,” he said.

“It’s a bit of a thought bubble, we were having some fun to see what people thought of the idea.

“It’s nothing more than an idea we floated many years ago internally, we wanted our engineers to look at … It’s nothing we’ve fully priced up.

“We’ve never really made the idea public because we haven’t costed it.”

Mr Bold pointed to Switzerland mountain, Stanserhorn, as an example of a tram successfully complimenting a cableway.

Cable car transports visitors to the 6300ft Mount Stanserhorn Photo: Kirsty Muir / Sunshine Coast Daily

On Wednesday Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds called for a major overhaul of infrastructureon kunanyi/Mt Wellington, saying ‘we’ve got a lot of catching up to do”. Ms Reynolds said the cable car project had put on hold sensible park planning and now was the time to invest in improvements.

Mr Bold said for now, the company’s plan was to partner with bus companies and to invest in dedicated electric shuttle buses.

“Once the cable car’s up and running, it would certainly be a secondary project we’d look at 10 years down the track,” Mr Bold said.

“It wouldn’t necessarily be our project, MWCC would essentially be one of the destination points on the tram line to help give it viability.”

“It’d be a nice commuting solution for South Hobart residents alongside biking and walking.

“Any concept of bringing in a tram line in the future, we’d have to weigh the benefits up in consultation with our bus partners.

Even though it was rejected, the possibility of a cable car being built has not yet been put to bed; The state government last year announced its intention to introduce planning reforms, which would allow developers to bypass local councils and instead have applications assessed by an independent panel.

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

The company has also met with the Premier in late 2022 after the appeal outcome, and more recently, the Premier last year flagged support for the project.

“Last year in the Premier’s state of the state address, he made a solid statement announcing he will find a way to make our project happen,” Mr Bold said.

“At this time we’re waiting to see what the government’s going to do to make good on their promise.”