With the Tasmanian Government set to give Mount Wellington Cableway Company (MWCC) permission to drill at 32 sites on kunanyi/Mount Wellington in the next few days, Hobart residents are today learning the skills to peacefully defend the mountain.The Bob Brown Foundation are assisting Residents Opposed to the Cable Car (ROCC) to train volunteers in Peaceful Direct Action in a workshop at the Fern Tree Tavern today from 2-5pm.

ROCC spokesperson Ted Cutlan said “Hobart residents are understandably outraged at the State Government directly assisting MWCC through the Department of State Growth; and at the secrecy surrounding the ‘Authority to Enter’ granted under the Cable Car Facilitation Act.”

“With the prospect of drilling works starting soon, the public are determined to halt this outrageous assault on kunanyi/Mount Wellington.”

“In just one week we had over 600 people register that they are ready to protest when drilling starts, and over 60 people have signed up for training today.”

“Carlton United Breweries and Hobart City Council have both respected the strength of local opposition and refused to allow MWCC the use of their land for this deeply unpopular project. And yet the State Government thinks it can just ride roughshod over the community.”

“The people of Hobart love our mountain and will do everything we can to peacefully defend it,” concluded Mr Cutlan.

EARLIER on Tasmanian Times …

Richard Flanagan’s speech in full