Damon Thomas: Council Refutes Claim of ‘Leak’

The Lord Mayor of the City of Hobart, Alderman Damon Thomas, today indicated that an internal investigation had revealed no wrongdoing on the part of the Council with respect to alleged leaked information on the proposed cable car project.

Responding to allegations from the Mount Wellington Cable Car Company, the Lord Mayor said, “The information about the height of the proposed towers was not confidential. The Mount Wellington Cable Car Company had shown plans of a proposed 75 metre tower in a public presentation on 16 April 2014.”

The Lord Mayor further added that the Mount Wellington Cable Car Company provided a confidential ‘Backgrounder’ document in late April. However, on 13 May this year, Mr Bold went on a local radio station to announce the existence of the document, thereby legally waiving the requirement that the document and its content remain confidential. Following Mr Bold’s legal waiver and acting on external legal advice, the general manager released the document to the Council Aldermen so it could be considered by the Aldermen at an open meeting dealing with the cable car issue.”

“It is a misrepresentation of the facts to in any way suggest that any document was ‘leaked’,” the Lord Mayor said. “At all times, the Council has acted properly and responsibly and to suggest otherwise wrongly impugns the reputation of the Aldermen and Council officers.”

The Council is still awaiting the outcome of the deliberations of the Wellington Park Management Trust on the application by the Mount Wellington Cable Car Company for an the extension to the Pinnacle Zone boundary. “Until the Trust makes a decision on this application, the Council cannot make any decisions on the issue of ‘owner consent’”. Mr Bold knows this”, the Lord Mayor said.
Alderman Damon Thomas – Lord Mayor