Green light for Malbena

A TOURISM development in the state’s World Heritage Area will proceed after a tribunal overruled the local council’s rejection.

The Lake Malbena development described by proponents Daniel and Simone Hackett as “small-scale” and “sensitive” will now happen quickly, they said.

Parks Minister Peter Gutwein welcomed the Planning Appeal Tribunal’s decision.

A TOURISM development at Lake Malbena in the state’s World Heritage Area has been given the green light to proceed, with proponents celebrating a tribunal decision handed down yesterday.

Daniel and Simone Hackett had appealed against a Central Highlands Council determination to knock back the project, which was referred to the Resource Management and Planning Appeals Tribunal.

The council rejected the proposal in February against the advice of its planner and despite previous state and federal government approvals.

The Hacketts’ plan is for a helicopter-accessed standing camp on Halls Island, on Lake

Malbena, which is in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park.

The proposal is for up to 240 flights carrying tourists into the national park over 60 days of the year.

In a statement, Mr Hackett welcomed the decision, that he said confirmed the project was compliant with local planning scheme provisions.

“We are proud of what we have achieved, designing a small-scale, sensitive proposal that has passed the highest levels of scientific scrutiny ever applied to an Australian tourism project,’’ he said.

“With a development application now approved, we look forward to quickly moving on with the project.”

Mr Hackett said the project could be delivered without significant impacts on other users or the environment.

Environment, Parks and Heritage Minister Peter Gutwein said the decision was a positive endorsement of the Government’s expressions of interest initiative for tourism developments in reserved areas.

Mr Gutwein said the Government would review the tribunal’s full findings.

Wilderness Society Tasmania spokesman Tom Allen said the tribunal process had failed to address the “negative impact” the project will have on wilderness.

Tasmanian National Parks Association spokesman Nick Sawyer raised concerns about what the decision meant for the Parks and Wildlife reserve activity assessment process.

“The RAA doesn’t provide for public notice and appeal rights, in this case it didn’t assess wilderness impacts,’’ he said. “This decision means that those wilderness impacts will not be considered by an independent body.”

In a statement, the organisations said they would examine the decision closely and would consider an appeal.

Meanwhile, Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said such “nature-based tourism” proposals were important to the future of the state’s tourism sector.

Prior to its February vote, Central Highlands Council received 1344 submissions lobbying against the Hacketts’ application.