FUTURE HOBART
THE much anticipated cable car development now faces a road potentially as challenging and unpredictable as the kunyani/Mt Wellington landscape itself.
Tourism figures and the project’s proponents yesterday lauded the announcement that the State Government had launched draft legislation paving the way for the development to proceed, ensuring it will go through the normal planning processes.
State Growth Minister Matthew Groom said the project would be “a game changer”.
“It would showcase one of our most stunning natural landmarks, it would make the pinnacle more accessible to more people and, of course, it would create new jobs for Tasmanians,” Mr Groom said.
But the project, which also has the support of Labor, now faces challenges on several fronts, including:
THE Bill passing a Legislative Council that is becoming increasingly hostile to the State Government’s agenda.
GAINING support from the Hobart City Council, some members of which have been outspoken against the plan and the move by the
State Government to acquire kunyani/Mt Wellington land.
OBTAINING a so-called “social licence” from the local community.
FACING potential appeals in the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal (RMPAT).
On Saturday, the draft legislation was launched to will allow the State Government to acquire a section of land on the mountain so the Mt Wellington Cable Car Company (MWCC) can access Mt Wellington Park to make assessments and prepare a development application (DA) — without the consent of the Hobart City Council.
Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said this was a necessary and important move.
“Mt Wellington has one of the most convoluted land management regulations in place anywhere in Australia,” Mr Martin said.
“The landowner consent issue should not be that hard and this will address that and provide assurances to the investor.”
Hobart general manager Nick Heath said, while the legislation would help the project get to the council, the MWCC would not receive any special treatment in the planning process.
“The way I read it is it’s going to go through the normal process,” Mr Heath said.
“The Bill only works to let the cable car proponents proceed with its DA. They still have to satisfy all the usual requirements.
“We are doing our own analysis of the Bill and will have that at the next meet- ing of council so the public will be able to find out more.”
Numerous Hobart aldermen have raised concerns about either the $54 million proposal itself or the move by the State Government to acquire the land.
University of Tasmania corporate governance expert Tom Baxter said the legislation raised further questions for those concerned.
“The Bill deems this private developer’s project in council-owned Wellington Park as akin to public service infrastructure like water or electricity,” Prof Baxter said.
“But this Bill, in subsection 5(2), removes the public interest test which applies before land can be forcibly acquired for those services.”
THERE are some in our community who think there is a greater likelihood of finding a live and breathing thylacine living on kunanyi/Mt Wellington than there is in ever seeing a cable car built there.
The development has been talked about for decades. It has seen many false starts, has had many different incarnation.
It has received floods of enthusiasm and cynicism in equal measure. It polarises like few other issues. It remains our city’s great white elephant. But that conversation has shifted in recent times. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, tourism industry heavy hitters, including a company half-owned by Tourism Tasmania’s chairman James Cretan, have supported the project and have been prepared to put their money where their mouth is.
And the Government has also provided a genuine path forward.
Draft legislation that waives the need for landowner consent for a development application and paves the way for the Government to acquire the required land was released for public comment at the weekend.
If the laws pass, it will allow the proponent, Adrian Bold’s Mt Wellington Cable Car Company (MWCC) to access Mt Wellington Park to make assessments and prepare a development application (DA) without the consent of Hobart City Council.
But any DA for the controversial $54 million proposal would then be assessed through the normal planning process.
The community will be able to finally have a genuine say on whether or not this is the type of development it wants ...
This last point is significant. It means the community will be able to finally have a genuine say on whether or not this is the type of development it wants.
This will be the ultimate test of whether or not this project will succeed. Can the proponents obtain the so-called “social licence” a project of this scope, size and significance so obviously needs?
The Mercury has consistently said it supports the concept of a cable car.
But any project needs to take the community along with it for the ride (pardon the pun) and continue to tick a great many boxes along the way.
We will never resile from continuing to ask hard questions around what could be among the most significant and important tourism developments to ever hit our state.
From here a few key questions will form how this issue evolves: WILL the community get behind the project? WILL the laws pass the Upper House? IF SO, what is the likelihood of the Hobart City Council approving the proposal? REGARDLESS of whether the council approves or opposes, is the matter destined for the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal? IS THE project financially viable and sustainable? DOES the existing team have the expertise, experience and wherewithal to bring it to fruition? These are the most basic of questions that any project of this size would attract. There are many more.
But we welcome this next step. And we welcome an accompanying open and transparent discussion.