Fork in the road for council

ONE has to wonder what the Lord Mayor and Hobart City Council would wish to be their legacy. Being regressive, spending millions of ratepayers’ money building a visitor centre for kunanyi/Mt Wellington that isn’t actually on the mountain and upgrading 16km of road across a steep mountainside, or for being recognised as progressive and embracing green technology that bypasses the road, gives visitors a centre that will be memorable and sustainable and as has been proven all over the world has the ability to meet demand well into the future with far less environmental impact, all at no cost to ratepayers whatsoever? One really has to wonder. Tony Donaghy Ellendale

Barely a dent in traffic

“PINNACLE face-saver” contains a popular but erroneous myth about Pinnacle Rd (Letters, November 12), that a cable car would alleviate heavy traffic on a dangerous road to the summit. Even by rare communiques from the proponent: at full capacity, a two large gondola service running continuously would barely dent visitor demand. The dangerous Huon RdPillinger Drive intersection at the base of kunanyi/Mt Wellington desperately needs an upgrade. How can that site still have a Metro bus stop on its apex? Themepark style, inappropriate developments on the summit, which would attract even more visitors, should not be permitted above the Springs. Affordable small and medium buses must be encouraged. John Voss Fern Tree

Supportive until …

I AM in violent agreement with reader Ken Beck (Letters, November 8). If there is development in Rosny Hill Reserve, a restaurant or cafe with a small footprint will be appropriate. It needs to be consistent with the footprint in Clarence City Council’s “Rosny Hill Reserve Management Strategy” and relevant laws that protect the reserve. I suspect most readers who oppose the large hotel complex are not “anti-everything”. They object due to concerns it is inappropriate for reserved public land. The community was supportive of council’s EOI restaurant/cafe proposal in 2014, but lost support when it morphed into a large hotel complex.

On another note, Clarence should be acknowledged for reinstating a rubbish bin at Rosny Hill Reserve Scenic Lookout. Visitors are doing the right thing placing bagged rubbish next to the bin when it is full. Council can add a recycling bin and deter vandals with a boom gate and security cameras. These measures will keep Rosny Hill Reserve clean and beautiful for visitors. Why throw the baby out with the bathwater by paving over the entire scenic lookout area with a hotel complex? Deb Sangho Montagu Bay

Open tender for DEC

THE sketch of Larry Kestelman’s vision for DEC and Wilkinsons point (“Decked out”, Mercury, November 7) bears scrutiny. The picture is nothing more than an attempt to persuade Tasmanian taxpayers into financing a venue for the National Basketball League (owned by Mr Kestelman) to the tune of $20 million-plus. This would surely then allow his companies to press ahead with the major part of his proposal at Wilkinsons Point, of which there is no mention. Can we be confident in assurances of success?

If there is to be taxpayer assistance, there must surely be an open tender process. A long list of Tasmanian projects and developers should be considered as well as a large Melbourne property developer, in recognition of support through our tougher times and dedication to Tasmania. Richard C. Dax Forcett

Real estate equity

THE State Government would like us, here in Westbury, to believe our property prices will not be adversely affected by a prison on the doorstep of our village. Economist Saul Eslake has said he can understand why we think our house values will drop. Data on realestate.com.au in December shows Risdon Vale as only one of two suburbs not enjoying the property boom in Hobart.

For many elderly people in Westbury, the amount of equity in their homes may make the difference in the quality of aged care they are able to leverage at some future point. For others, the equity gives them the freedom to move around the state on an equal footing with others enjoying a buoyant property market. I’m sorry, this feels like compulsory acquisition. Linda Poulton Westbury