Company to build access road

A NEW 2.5km road will be built to better connect visitors to the cable car base at Wellington Park.

Mount Wellington Cableway Company says it will build the new road off McRobies Rd just before the tip gate and it will follow old trails and a fire track to the base station to the left of the tip.

The base station will house the cableway motor room, backup generator, loading bay and service utilities, as well as a front ticket office, mountain bike hire and staff facilities.

Parking will be provided for cars and buses and MWCC hopes to run a shuttle bus service from the CBD to the base.

The proponent also proposes a new two-way Tintersection on Cascade Rd, which will divert all cable car traffic and traffic returning from the tip and the Female Factory Historic Site away from the residential streets of Degraves and Apsley streets.

MWCC chairwoman Jude Franks said the project did not need any private land and the cable car would not fly over or overlook any homes.

“All costs for the new link road can be paid for by MWCC and all public land required for the cable car will be leased on commercial terms,” she said.

MWCC says the base station will be out of sight for residents, leaving Old Farm Rd residents unaffected.

The proponent says benefits of the new road include the potential installation of underground essential services such as sewerage, reticulated water, NBN and power for safer bushfire management.

MWCC forecasts an almost 60 per cent reduction in traffic on Pinnacle Rd, Huon Rd and upper Davey St.

But it says there will only be a 5.68 per cent increase in traffic on upper Macquarie St and Cascade Rd below the McRobies Rd turn-off, which will benefit South Hobart residents.