Respect The Mountain applauded the findings by the Tasmanian Planning Commission (TPC) that the Wellington Park Management Trust (WPMT) inadequately responded to the concerns of the community with regards to the Pinnacle Boundary Extension.
Respect The Mountain is now calling for the amendment to be abandoned.
Amongst multiple areas of concern, the TPC found the WPMT, as custodian of Wellington Park, was inadequate when considering concerns regarding the values of the park.
The fact that 65% of respondents from the Public Submissions did not support the rezoning of the Pinnacle Specific Area shows how out of touch the WPMT is with the public.
“This is a serious issue when a lot of tax-payers money is been spent on making an amendment at what has been revealed to be the request of one individual of the public. And the landowner doesn’t even support the proposal!” said spokesperson Jason Turvey.
“Why is the WPMT entertaining the whims of one person who claims that public money won’t be spent on his internet project? This sort of amendment doesn’t happen without assistance.”
“This project, and the process, are a joke that we’re all tired of laughing at.”
Jason Turvey
Spokesperson
Respect The Mountain
http://www.respectthemountain.org.au
• ROCC: Statement on Tasmanian Planning Commission’s decision on the Wellington Trust’s process to consider extending the ‘Pinnacle Specific Zone’ on Mt Wellington
After a long process that should never have taken place, the Tasmanian Planning Commission has severely criticised the process run by Wellington Park Management Trust to extend the development zone on Mt Wellington.
The Commission’s Report highlighted two areas where the Trust has breached its own Act and of the seven areas it reviewed the Commission found that in six cases the Trust’s response had been ‘inadequate’.
“The Trust and the developer have now wasted the time of the Planning Commission, Hobart City Council and the people of Hobart with a process that should never have started” said Ted Cutlan, spokesperson for ROCC.
“As has been pointed out previously, why is one developer being allowed to determine the fate of Mt Wellington, the iconic symbol of the city for residents and tourists alike.
“Why is the Trust allowing the pipe dream of one developer to dominate the discussion around Mt Wellington? It is a fanciful idea with no real details having been publicly released on the proposed project.
“On the back of the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s report, Minister Groom must instruct the Trust to stop a re-run of the process to save taxpayers’ money. The submissions clearly showed that there is little support for the cable car proposal.
“The Trust should have done their job and advocated for the protection of Mt Wellington, not the interests of one person. It appears that the Trust has wasted the public’s time with a process that it wanted to be a rubber-stamped ‘Yes’.”
ROCC Mt Wellington is a local community group working to protect Mt Wellington for all Tasmanians.
Details of the Tasmanian Planning Commission report can be found here: http://www.iplan.tas.gov.au/Pages/XC.Track.Assessment/SearchAssessment.aspx?id=53
