I have consistently written in all forms of social media about the attraction of the Old Powerhouse Loop track in Waratah.
Waratah Loop Track a Winner – Tasmanian Times
The response from the Waratah-Wynyard Council and all relevant politicians who have been emailed has been a deafening nothing … silent in a thousand languages, as they say.
However the need for response is with them and the community now.
Towards the end of January the walking bridge over the Ringtail Falls irreparably collapsed – see photo below.
The Waratah-Wynyard Council met on Monday 23 January and the issue was raised, I am told, during the closed session. Of course no detail appears in the minutes of that meeting.
The cost of rehabilitation of the entire Loop has been advised to this council and state government in 2000 at approximately $500,000. The project was supported by Forestry Tasmania / Sustainable Timber Tasmania who is the manager of much of the land on which the Loop track resides.
Furthermore said council was provided with $300,000 by Minister Michael Ferguson when the Waratah Reservoir was dismantled by TasWater.
Surely any gap in funding could be easily met up with a ‘tourism grant’ from Premier Rockliff in the same way he intervened to save the Boags Brewery visitors centre which only cost a million dollars to do start with.
If the principle is that funds can be rapidly deployed to save tourism assets in need, well lets see the colour of your money Premier.
An additional point not known in 2000 when the grant application was originally made (and rejected) is that Crown Land, which represents some 10% of the Loop area, is able to be transferred to the ownership of a local government authority.
In this case, it would be Waratah-Wynyard Council who could then negotiate a memorandum of understanding with STTAS for development, construction, maintenance, insurance and any other applicable issues.
Apply for, renew or transfer a crown land licence | Service Tasmania
So here is a solution to the problem – if the council decides that tourism in Waratah is valuable.
Thus we ask: do they?
