Minister’s pledge fails to ease cable car concerns
AN assurance by the State Government that new major projects legislation will not be used to fast-track a proposed cable car project for kunanyi/ Mt Wellington has not satisfied opponents of the development.
Residents Opposed to the Cable Car spokesman Vica Bayley said the group would only be comforted if the project was abandoned, or if the legislation did not pass parliament.
On Thursday, Planning Minister Roger Jaensch said the cable car proposal would be assessed by the Hobart City Council, and did not meet the criteria for the proposed laws.
But Mr Bayley said this did not safeguard future governments potentially using the legislation to fast-track the project.
“If it passes parliament, it will be around for decades,’’ he said.
“The cable car proposal has been around for a century, and the legislation would do nothing to bind a future minister or future government [from using it].”
South Hobart Progress Association president Phillip Hoysted said Mr Jaensch’s comments about the project came as a surprise, noting recent correspondence from the Minister that did not rule out the possibility.
He said the Government had “bent over backwards to facilitate the cable car for nearly seven years” and said the proposal should not be allowed to drag on.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the Government had given “overt political, bureaucratic and legislative support” to the proposed cable car.
“Maybe the Liberals think they won’t need to use major projects laws to get it passed, but they sure could,’’ she said.
Mount Wellington Cableway Company chairman Chris Oldfield said they had not asked for assessment under the major projects framework.
“Much time, money and effort has been invested in the preparation of a development application for assessment by the Hobart City Council under the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act,’’ he said.
“All we want is for this assessment process to work as it was designed to do, and for the cable car to be judged on the requirements under the Act.”