The Liberals’ latest request for Federal Government handouts for the fanciful Cradle Mountain Cableway raise questions about further cost increases and the whereabouts of the revised business plan.
On Monday, the Premier announced the Liberals are seeking a 80/20 funding split between the Federal and State governments respectively, and that the ask from Canberra is $180m.
If $180m is 80% of the total costs for the Cableway, it seems the latest price tag for the project is $225m.
The Liberals must make the revised Cableway business plan, which State Growth said was underway in the 2024 Budget Estimates, public.
From 2016 the cost of this proposal has skyrocketed from $60m to well in excess of $200m. This huge and nonessential cash splash cannot be justified – especially as our Parks staff are rightfully anxious about newly announced public sector recruitment freezes and cuts.
This Cableway will not ensure the conservation of public land and the Wilderness World Heritage Area for future generation, but Parks staff will.
Tasmania needs to walk away from the Cradle Cableway and invest instead into Parks and Wildlife resourcing.
