Media release – Mt Wellington Cableway Company, 15 November 2021

Scaled down Pinnacle Centre for kunanyi/Mt Wellington

MWCC has proposed a reduction in the overall size of its pinnacle centre on kunanyi/Mt Wellington by over a third and substantially reduce its hours of operation.

MWCC chair Chris Oldfield said the company had lodged an amendment to its development application with RMPAT today which aimed to address a number of reasons for refusal of the cable car by the Hobart City Council.

He said the reduction included the removal of the proposed northern wing and the sanctum; a south facing viewing space. This would reduce the on-ground summit building footprint by about 40 per cent.

The amendment will also reduce proposed operational hours to daylight and halve the maximum passenger load capacity of the aerial tramway cabins.

The scaled back pinnacle centre retains its key features including protection of the skyline, accessible lookouts and boardwalks, an all-day café, community event space, sufficient toilets, and parenting rooms for all visitors to the pinnacle.

Mr Oldfield said the centre also retains key environmental design features such as colours to blend in with the mountain environment, non-reflective and recessed windows, rooftop native gardens and low visibility lighting.

He said the original full-scale design was in response to public feedback about what locals and visitors wanted at the pinnacle and to provide the best environmental, social and economic benefits for Tasmania.

“However, the council raised concerns about the size of the complex and its hours of operation, noise at night and carrying capacity which these amendments address.

“Taking away the fine dining restaurant and moving the café into the southern wing reduces the overall bulk of the centre and the need for after dark operating hours, which reinforces the focus of our pinnacle centre away from hospitality to passive, daytime scenic appreciation. Mr Oldfield said the amendments reduce the building costs and the changes would have minimal impact on the financial viability of the project.

The comparative changes are summarised as follows:

All other aspects of the Development Application remain the same.

The amended plans have been uploaded to the website at www.mwcablecar.com.