Company talks add to cable car alarm

OLD Farm Rd residents have walked away from a meeting with the Mount Wellington Cableway Company with heightened concerns about the proponent’s controversial project.

The company organised the meeting to allay fears from residents of the South Hobart street about a cable car on kunanyi/Mt Wellington but spokeswoman Lou-anne Barker said the meeting had the opposite effect.

“No, they were heightened and we were shocked at the proposal,” she said.

“We think there should be more community consultation — not just with Old Farm Rd, because it’s bigger than our area.”

Ms Barker said about two weeks ago the company dropped off pamphlets in letterboxes and doorknocked homes with an offer to meet residents to allay community concerns about the cable car.

Fearing a divide-and-conquer approach, Ms Barker said most of the residents gathered and decided to meet the company as one.

“We had a meeting of the residents of the street and the overwhelming majority opposed it,” she said.

“We are against the cable car going over the Organ Pipes [on Mt Wellington].”

About 12 people representing Old Farm Rd households were at the meeting last night.

Meanwhile, at the Fern Tree Tavern the cable car project dominated a candidates’ forum for the Members of the Legislative Council seat of Hobart.

At the forum, hosted by the Australia Institute Tasmania, four candidates were quizzed about the cable car and whether they supported it.

Independent Rob Valentine said with any proposal the question of how it would affect people’s relationship with the mountain had to be asked.

“The indigenous people have not really had a proper say in any of this,” he said.

Independent Richard Griggs and the Animal Justice Party’s Chris Simcox said they did not like the idea of a cable car to kunanyi/Mt Wellington.

“I can’t imagine a cable car that does anything but detract from the mountain but I’m willing to keep an open mind,” Mr Griggs said.

Only Tasmanians for Tasmania candidate Alan Barnett, who said a cable car was inevitable, supported the plan but with a base at Lenah Valley to avoid going over the Organ Pipes. But the residents at the forum were not fans of Mr Barnett’s proposal.