CABLE CAR’S UPHILL BATTLE

Council report rejects plans

HOBART City Council has been told to reject a development application for the Mt Wellington/kunanyi cable car.

The application is to be considered by the council at a special meeting on July 27 but consultants have provided the local authority with 21 reasons it shouldn’t be approved.

Among the reasons, the report said the cableway would diminish recreational, cultural and landscape values and the pinnacle centre would “intrude onto the landscape”.

HOBART councillors are being urged to vote against the proposed kunanyi/Mt Wellington cable car project after an independent report into the divisive proposal recommended the development application be refused.

The planning consultant’s report released on Tuesday provided 21 reasons why it should be rejected.

Spokesman for the Residents Opposed to the Cable Car Vica Bayley said it was a damning assessment of the development.

“This report stands on its own two feet as a comprehensive analysis and, as a result, the councillors should vote accordingly,” Mr Bayley said.

He said councillors who planned to vote in favour of the project were misguided.

“If there was one or two grounds of refusal you’d think pro-development councillors might have a leg to stand on, but there are 21 grounds of refusal. Ratepayers have spent a lot of money for an independent review; it would be disappointing for them to reject their opinion.”

Executive chair of the Mount Wellington Cableway Company Chris Oldfield said the company needed time to review the report.

“We will go away and read the report and talk to our advisers, we’ll consider what’s been advised,” he said.

Mr Oldfield said the cable car was sorely needed for the future of the mountain.

“Visitors are going up Mt Wellington on a road that’s not satisfactory,” he said.

“This gets cars off the road and makes things safer; it’s worth pursuing.”

Mr Oldfield said the company would make a submission at the council meeting next Tuesday. The DA will be considered by the council acting as planning authority on July 27.

The report said the proposed

cableway was not consistent with the values of Mt Wellington/kunanyi and would diminish the park’s tourism, recreational, cultural and landscape values.

There are concerns around the impact of noise and other emissions on residential zones, and the impact of noise on the environment. The report found the proposal would not “harmonise” with the landscape because of its appearances and proportions.

There are also concerns

around the impact on the Organ Pipes Columnar Jointing and Wellington Range Periglacial Terrain.

It was found the clearance of vegetation at the base station would “not avoid or sufficiently remedy the loss of swift parrot habitat values and therefore results in a long-term impact on vegetation value”. The report also said it was “not supported by a geotechnical land instability report that sufficiently considers all risks to life and property that will be

triggered by the development of the pinnacle centre”.

Clark Independent Andrew Wilkie said councillors could not ignore the report.

“It was always self-evident that the cable car proposal would fail to meet sensible environmental, social and economic assessment criteria and the planning report confirms exactly that,’’ he said.

“There is no way councillors can ignore this advice and they must vote to stop this project.”