Media release – 15 November 2021
SCALED BACK CABLE CAR CENTRE AN INDICTMENT ON PROPONENT’S CREDIBILITY
After years of attacking the Hobart City Council and telling councillors its Development Application for a cable car complex on kunanyi Mt Wellington was its ‘best effort’, the proponent has promptly used a loophole in the appeal process to submit a revision of its Development Application that downsizes parts of the proposal in an attempt to win approval. In doing so, the proponent has avoided community input from 12,500 persons opposed to the development.
Via Section 22 of the Resource Management and Planning Appeals Tribunal Act (1993) the developer has applied to reduce the size of the private commercial complex on the summit (by only 30%, by abandoning a proposed restaurant), reducing the maximum number of people who could ride on each cable car and clarifying the likely operating hours, if it were to be built.
“This is development by stealth,” said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for Residents Opposed to the Cable Car. “This proponent appears willing to do and say anything to get a foot in the door and a lease for public land on the summit of kunanyi.”
“No one should have any confidence that the abandoned restaurant won’t be reinstated in a future Development Application, to be considered once the special values of kunanyi have been compromised by the construction of the cable car, café, bar and function centre.
The revised Section 22 application is not advertised for public comment and is dealt with entirely within the Tribunal’s process, disenfranchising the 12,500+ people who took the time to make a representation opposing the cable car. Only parties to the appeal can engage on the issue and ultimately, the Tribunal itself will determine whether the revised application will be accepted and considered as part of the appeal.
“The cable car was rejected based on 21 solid grounds of planning and management refusal and as part of the appeal, joined parties have successfully added another nine grounds to be heard in the appeal
“While this revised application seeks to overcome some of the now 30 grounds of refusal, it does nothing to address others. These changes do nothing to avoid the bulldozing of swift parrot and masked owl nesting trees, the traffic on residential streets, noise, sewage and odour.
“Bus-sized carriages are still proposed to cut across the Organ Pipes every 15 minutes, there is still a 35 metre tall tower atop the mountain and it’s impossible to see how abandoning a significant commercial element of the development will turn around the already discredited claims of economic benefit.
“The proponent is just not listening. Most people engaged in this issue don’t want the cable car and many stakeholders, including residents, Aboriginal leaders and scientists have expressed their opposition.”
Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens Leader and Member for Clark, 15 November 2021
You Can’t Put a Shine on a Cowpat
Mount Wellington Cableway Company has released its modified proposal to desecrate and profit from kunanyi’s wild beauty, but it’s still a dog of a project.
The developer used a planning loophole, which the Greens have tabled a Bill to close for future developments, to put forward a smaller proposal on which no Tasmanian can have a say.
Thousands of people made representations in opposition to the original Development Application. They are shut out of the planning appeal process now.
It may be a smaller proposed cable car, but it would still deface the mountain and privatise the pinnacle.
You can’t put a shine on a cowpat.
