Footprint line oversteps
Cable car company apologises to uni professor
THE company behind the kunanyi / Mt Wellington cable car proposal has apologised to a University of Tasmania professor misrepresented in a promotional brochure.
The Mount Wellington Cableway Company quoted the university’s centre of environment director in the booklet without a name or date.
The centre closed in June, but the company fired back on Twitter saying the quote was from an interview in May.
The brochure, distributed to thousands of households across Hobart, quoted former director Ted Lefroy as saying “the environmental footprint per person would be a lot smaller than cars if you look at the energy footprint and carbon footprint”.
But yesterday the company apologised to Prof Lefroy in the Mercury classifieds for not covering his full views on the project, and for giving the impression he supported it.
“The extract was limited to reproducing Prof Lefroy’s comments concerning the potential environmental footprint of a cableway,” the company said.
“Prof Lefroy has requested that it be pointed out that his comments as to environmental footprint were only a part of his comments to the interviewer which also includes his opinion regarding MWCC’s lack of social licence.
“The company would like to apologise to Prof Lefroy for the extract used not covering his full views and the impression that he supported MWCC’s proposal.”
In the same interview, where the quote was taken, Prof Le- froy said he had no objection to the idea provided the company gained a social licence.
“The cable car company would probably have to drop this proposal or at least start all over again because they got off on the wrong foot,” he said.
“They don’t have a social licence. They should have identified representative groups who are likely to find it confronting and talk to them first.”
Environment Minister Elise Archer said yesterday the State Government had supported the project from the start.
“Of course that is to ensure it goes through all of the proper processes, the planning system, the approval process and that is a matter, of course, for the Hobart City Council,” she said. “The Government remains supportive of the benefits of a cable car to tourism in Tasmania.”