Forces join for Mona hotel fix

Glenorchy mayor hails collaboration

MONA’S bid to build a $300 million hotel has received a big boost, with the museum to submit a development application for the project once its proposed rezone of the Berriedale Peninsula is approved.

Yesterday the world-renowned museum and TasWater announced that they had signed an agreement that could break the impasse between the two that threatened Mona’s expansion plans for its Berriedale site.

Mona and TasWater have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on a solution to the Cameron Bay sewerage works’ noncom- pliance with standards.

Last year the Mercury revealed that Mona’s planned expansion — for a $6 million trendy campground and $300 million, five-star hotel called HoMo — for its Berriedale site was under threat because both projects fell within a 400m attenuation zone that emissions environmental from the treatment plant cover.

It was previously not an issue for the development but was included in the new Glenorchy Interim Planning Scheme, to the shock of Mona, with it costing millions of dollars to either fix the plant or even relocate it.

Site projects manager for Mona Steve Devereaux said the MOU would help develop a clear solution to the problem.

“The MOU should expedite our desire to see an environmentally sustainable waste water treatment plant at Cameron Bay, a clean solution for the benefit of all users of the river and the surrounding public space for our community,” he said.

“It will also help free up some of the previous barriers to progress with our caravan park and hotel proposals.”

TasWater chairman Miles Hampton said the main goal was for the plant to be upgraded to allow concurrent operation of the plant and Mona’s development.

“Other options include an alternate sewage treatment plant and we will consider technologies to produce classA recycled water for use on the