Polling shows many Tasmanians support cable car project

MWCC chairwoman Jude Franks says poll shows “Mount Wellington is everyone’s mountain, not just for those in one Hobart suburb”.

MORE than six out of 10 Tasmanians surveyed in a recent poll back the proposal to build a cable car to kunanyi/Mount Wellington, but many people remain uninformed about the project, the results show.

The survey of 1000 Tasmanians, part of the Omnibus Poll by independent pollsters EMRS, was done between August 29-31, and asked participants to indicate their support or opposition to the project.

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The statewide poll found 62 per cent of those surveyed supported the $50 million cable car proposal while about 30 per cent were opposed to the project, with 8 per cent undecided.

Only 28 per cent of those surveyed admitted to reading the proposal by Mount Wellington Cableway Company, with 57 per cent aware of the proposal, but had not read the details. A further 15 per cent were unaware a proposal had been released to the public last month.

Artist’s impression of the proposed cable car.

Other findings from the survey were that residents in the state’s North were more likely to support the cable car project than those living in the South, and support was strongest among Liberal voters.

The new poll compares with the result of a ReachTel poll for the Mercury in July 2017, which found 54.1 per cent support for the cable car.

Cableway company chairwoman Jude Franks said the poll showed strong and growing support for the cable car as people learned more about the proposal.

“There appears to be a strong feeling across Tasmania that Mount Wellington is everyone’s mountain, not just for those in one Hobart suburb, and people want the cable car,” she said.

The cable car company hit a major setback last month with Hobart City Council denying the developer access to any of its land for infrastructure.

Ms Franks said the company would wait until after the October election before lodging a development application.

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The survey result comes as Hobart Lord Mayor candidate Robert Mallett says he supports a cable car to Mount Wellington.

“I am in full support of a cable car on Mount Wellington and while obviously any proposal needs to go through the appropriate checks and balances from an approvals point of view, it is clear to me that such a development would be a great asset for not only Hobart, but all of Tasmania,” Mr Mallett said.