Campaign for ‘The Springs Visitor Information Centre’

The way we were … the Springs Hotel before the ’67 bushfires …

In keeping with our belief that there are options for sustainable and sensitive development on kunanyi / Mount Wellington, Respect The Mountain officially launched their campaign for ‘The Spring Visitor Information Centre’ today.

Petitions are available for download off the website http://www.thespringhobart.com

The community group will be gathering signatures for a petition to ask the Hobart City Council to consider providing a Visitor Centre to be based at The Springs.

Spokesperson for the group, Jason Turvey, said “The The Springs Visitor Information Centre should include a base for the Wellington Park Management Trust Ranger, information on walking tracks, bike trails, climbing routes as well as other helpful information on the European, Aboriginal and geological history of the mountain.

The campaign has been timed with the Hobart City Council’s period of receiving Development Application’s for The Springs.

“If Wellington Park was a National Park, it would have a visitor centre located near the main entrance to the park. Yet because of it’s unique management structure, everyone misses out.”

It is not unusual for visitor centres to be located on the fringe of cities with the Blue Mountains and Perth Hills providing a number of accredited Visitor Centres in their respective areas.

Mr. Turvey said the Hobart City Council has already indicated that it prefers The Springs site for development so maybe this might be the push it needs to get the ball rolling.

“We have a new council that’s energised to make a difference. kunanyi / Mount Wellington receives approx 400,000 visitors every year. It’s not unusual to see tourists in hire cars slow down at The
Springs, expecting to find something, only to continue up the road. This also so much potential!

Plus there’s the flow-on effect for the tourism industry by encouraging operators to develop tours to start from The Springs.”

According to the WPMT’s records, the most recent building still remaining at The Springs was built around 1932.

Jason Turvey Spokesperson – Respect The Mountain Respect http://www.thespringshobart.com http://www.respectthemountain.org.au

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