Mount Wellington cable car plan moves forward

The Wellington Park Management Trust, the agency responsible for managing Hobart's Mount Wellington has altered its management plan, paving the way for a cable car at the summit.

The request for the change, which extends the commercial development area on the pinnacle by 15%, came from the Mount Wellington Cable Car Company (MWCC).

The firm is proposing to run aerial tram cabins with open-air rear balconies, and possibly glass-bottomed floors.

Its plan also includes a visitor centre that would lie just south-east of the existing observation centre.

Trust Chair Christine Mucha said the change opened the door to a variety of proposals, but denied the decision to change its management plan implied support for the development.

Mucha told the ABC “we get roughly 270,000 visitors a year to the top of the mountain.

"By opening up that area, that very small area, it allows the opportunity to put forward proposals.

"It may be a cafe for example, that will be probably better suited and have less implications on the skyline."

The MWCC is now expected to lodge formal development applications.

Last year, the Trust received 550 representations on its proposed amendment to the Pinnacle Zone last year, which included the cable car boundary extension.

The Tasmanian Planning Commission held hearings, and found the Trust did not adequately summarise all of the submissions. A report released by the Commission in July said the trust did not adequately respond to community concerns about the plan.

Hobart Alderman Philip Cocker, one of the Hobart City Council's appointees to the Trust said the council was very disappointed with the change to the management plan.

Alderman Cocker stated “we believe the Trust has repeatedly failed to make the case against the management plan for this amendment.

"We also believe the Trust has thumbed its nose at the representations that both the majority of representations (made) and the strong views that the council put to it, and I think the planning commission also found deep flaws in the process that the trust undertook to look at the submissions."

Alderman Cocker said he had deep concerns about how the issue had been handled, adding "I think there needs to be a discussion around the future of the trust and its role and the management plan and to look at what went wrong in this process.”

For more information on the MWCC proposal go to www.mtwellingtoncablecar.com

Images: Mount Wellington and the Mount Wellington cable car concept.

14th November 2014 - PLANS MOVE FORWARD FOR MOUNT WELLINGTON CABLE CAR

18th March 2013 - PROPOSED MOUNT WELLINGTON CABLE CAR ENCOUNTERS OPPOSITION FROM INDIGENOUS GROUPS 

12th March 2010 - CABLE CAR TO ASCENT HOBART’S MOUNT WELLINGTON?