Rail corridor a gift for any city

MACQUARIE POINT

you Glenorchy Mayor Kristie Johnston for showing foresight in standing up for the people of Hobart generally in asking Hobart City councillors to vote down a proposal from the Macquarie Point Development Corporation (“Point plan off the rails,” Mercury, May 25).

The MPDC proposal is for a road that will stop future consideration of possible light rail (or any other form of public transport) on the current rail corridor. As pointed out by the mayor, the short-sightedness of the management of the Macquarie Point Development Corporation is breathtaking in proposing this road.

The currently unimpeded rail corridor is a gift that any other capital city in Australia would give anything for. With the use of light rail, Hobart has a great opportunity to extend the beauty and accessibility of the city and at the same time address some of Hobart’s major traffic problems that it seems this current State Government and the Hobart City Council are unable to address.

Mike Chadwick Howden

OPPORTUNITY: Mayor Kristie Johnston.

for its design and development etc. Can it be remotely possible that these funds have been used or rather squandered with absolutely nothing to show for it. Something grandiose and futuristic could and should arise from the ashes to rival and perhaps surpass similar projects throughout the world. Instead we hear of land being sold for mediocre buildings, housing run-ofthe-mill businesses and now plans to ram a road through to expedite said plan.

Is it too late to apply the brakes, start afresh with a panel of experts who can show some vision? Think big and show the world that Tasmania is capable of using such an asset wisely.

Phil Jones Margate nated from Mona. Bravo David! What is really terrifying is the recent activity towards flogging off the most desirable bits to developers. The rail tracks are already gone and this could not have happened unnoticed. It is hard to believe that the State Government is not aware of the unique value of Macquarie Point, but it is showing all the signs of putting it in the too-hard basket, and this simply must not be allowed to happen.

Even if the site just sits there untouched for the next 20 years until our Joern Utzon comes along, that would be a much better outcome than seeing it lost forever for the benefit of some unimaginative developer. We are all very well aware that Premier Gutwein has been doing a great job, but this is not the time to take your eye off the ball, Peter.

David Keyes Austins Ferry