Cable car land grab Bill goes to House

LEGISLATION to pave the way for a cable car on kunanyi/ Mt Wellington will be introduced to State Parliament this week.

And debate on the planned State Government acquisition of TasWater will also resume.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier Sarah Courtney says the Government plans to table legislation to acquire land on the mountain to assist the Mount Wellington Cableway Company in preparing a development application when the Lower House sits tomorrow.

“This Bill is going to provide a pathway,” she said. “This is exciting news for jobs in Tasmania.”

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said her party would oppose what she described as “an abuse of process formalised in legislation”.

“It seeks to legitimise a public land grab for private profit and falsely describes a privately owned cable car as public infrastructure,” she said.

“This legislation sets out to help one favoured proponent to scar the mountain and claim the pinnacle with around 13 different pieces of infrastructure.”

Ms Courtney said the Government intended to resume debate on legislation to allow it to take over TasWater as well as continue to focus on Labor leader Rebecca White’s inexperience.

Ms White said the Government was playing personality politics when its MPs should be doing their jobs.

“I think it’s grubby politics and I don’t think that Tasmanians and the community really enjoy or engage with it,” she said.