No secrets in permit tick
CABLE CAR
IT’S been public knowledge for months that a permit had been applied for to do low-impact geotechnical and flora and fauna studies on Mt Wellington. An identical permit had been issued last year. The minister telegraphed that a new permit was about to be issued. The council had seen drafts of the ones issued. So what’s this secrecy? The anti-cable car minority want you to believe there’s some grand Machiavellian secret conspiracy pushing a furtive agenda, when everything has been in the public domain from day one. Only four of 40 politicians in State Parliament didn’t think it was the best decision to take this out of the hands of the HCC. The HCC has mucked this process around so badly it was taken from them. From that point it has been standard procedure, without bias or favour. And the anti lobby are growing more desperate as it proceeds through the standard process. threatened silver peppermint forest at McRobies Valley. The lure of restaurants and facilities would dramatically increase visits to the Pinnacle, but many would drive rather than pay about $200 a family for an eight-minute ride, necessitating a larger Pinnacle carpark and road upgrades. Interesting when one recalls the original argument for a cable car was to reduce traffic on Pinnacle Rd.
Haven’t heard Labor
I AM concerned about the Liberal Party’s promotion of the cable car on Kunanyi/ Mt Wellington. This treasured mountain is an icon to Hobart and surroundings. To have a large cable car crossing our majestic Organ Pipes is a sacrilege. Labor is supposed to be in Opposition and to provide a sane and steady voice to any grab for public land for commercialism and profit. I haven’t heard anything from Labor about this issue. There is steadily growing opposition to the cable car for good reasons. People will be demonstrating their beliefs publicly. Labor, you can’t sit on the fence with this issue. Remember the pulp mill?
Take down silly signs
ISN’T it time people in South Hobart and elsewhere took down their silly “No Cable Car” signs? They have created more visual pollution that any cable car would. All it does is tell our numerous visitors what a backward-facing parochial country town this is (which it’s not). The signs are disingenuous. If they had bothered to look at the detailed plans, they would see there Alderman Marti Zucco raises concerns over Hobart Not Highrise meeting cost Great to see Hobart is not dictated to by developers. That has ruined Sydney and Melbourne, except for the tiny majority who make a killing. are no plans to disfigure the mountain with anything that looks like three giant yellow or red lines across its face. And it is not “their mountain”. The mountain belongs to everyone in Tasmania, not a parochial minority of 3000-4000 (turning out for an hour’s talk-fest in the park) of a greater Hobart of 220,000. Being generous, that’s 1.8 per cent. Dream on.
How and when?
DEAR Peter, could you explain if, and if so, how and when, the Government decided to give a permit to the cable car company to drill up to 32 sites on the mountain please? I remember being at a rally with about 5000 local people to show what taxpayers think about damaging this pristine mountain, which was supported by the Aboriginal community and many politicians. I’d appreciate it if you could listen carefully to the community and elders. Kunanyi/Mt Wellington and its wildlife and fauna must be protected.
More traffic
IT is surely obvious traffic to Mt Wellington’s summit will increase if amenities are developed. Locals may take a cable car joy ride once or twice, but at a possible $80$100 a person, most will use the road to access tracks, views and restaurants. The distance by road costs a few dollars’ petrol. If the road were closed in future to force use of the cable car, most locals would likely not access the mountain any more.
Boats still coming
ACCORDING to the Australian Parliament website when “boat turnbacks in Australian waters” is googled: Between December 2013 and June 2018 there have been 33 boat turnbacks. Why has the PM not mentioned that lately?
I know that smell
WITH the scent of pork-barrelling wafting down on the breeze from the North of the state, one can only assume another election is in the air.
Would have died anyway
THE deaths of so many animals in the Queensland floods is a tragedy for all involved. But before we get too sentimental about all those shots of dead cattle, most of them were destined to die in a slaughterhouse anyway. Animal agriculture is a huge burden on the environment. Perhaps this is an opportunity to reinvest, not in yet more doomed cattle, but to move to sustainable and healthy food production.
Unfriendly
THE Coalition will run with the Mediscare furphy again, as if they don’t try to white-ant, or hobble, Medicare whenever they can get away with it. They are as friendly to public health as they are to public broadcasting, education and transport.