Call for Federal Scrutiny of Cable Car

Media release – BirdLife Tasmania, 16 August 2021

Federal scrutiny urgently required of kunanyi cable car proposal

BirdLife Tasmania today called on the kunanyi/Mount Wellington Cable Car proponents to submit their proposal to the Federal Government for assessment under the EPBC Act – as they have promised.

“The proponents have promised for years that they would submit their proposal to the Federal Government BirdLife Tasmania Convenor Dr Eric Woehler OAM said today – it’s time to put up or shut up” .

“They’ve had plenty of time to do this. What’s holding them back – why the delay?” Dr Woehler said.

BirdLife Tasmania opposes the proposed development because of its potentially catastrophic impacts to the critically-endangered swift parrot.

“The scale of the threat to swift parrots is unacceptable. It requires the immediate removal of at least 75 nesting and feeding trees, with more critical habitat to be cleared in the future to comply with fire regulations.”

A recent study by ANU researchers suggested the effective population size of swift parrots is perhaps 300 birds – making the swift parrot one of the rarest birds in Australia. “This proposal is bad news for the swift parrot – the last thing a critically-endangered species needs is the loss of so many nesting and feeding trees and associated critical habitat.”

“This loss of nesting and feeding trees is a significant threat to a substantial proportion of the remaining population of swift parrots,” Dr Woehler added. “You can’t offset this proposal – swift parrots need trees that are 60 to 70 years old – or older – for nesting.”

“BirdLife Tasmania stands with ROCC and the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre in rejecting the proposal on the basis of unacceptable adverse impacts to environmental and cultural heritage values,” Dr Woehler added.

“You don’t destroy critical habitat for a critically-endangered species in the 21st century – this is a tired proposal that has no environmental, economic or social benefits.”

“The Federal Government needs to look at his catastrophic proposal urgently – the proponents should make good on their years-old promise to submit the proposal for evaluation” Dr Woehler concluded.

“Federal scrutiny is urgently required – in fact, it’s well overdue,” Dr Woehler concluded.