With the project design changing and construction costs escalating since the feasibility study three years ago, the Liberals need to be up front with Tasmanians about the increased costs and environmental impact of the Tyndalls Walk.
The planned walk now includes additional private pod accommodation, new tent platforms at Lake Malcolm and an entire new location of one site in the foothills of Mount Geikie to Lake Mary. The Government can’t fool Tasmanians into thinking the proposed walk will still cost $40m.
The Tyndalls might be isolated, but they are not immune from the inflation we have all been experiencing. With construction costs increasing, it’s likely the walk’s estimated price tag will blow out. Do Tasmanians want government to pay over $40 million for a walk most won’t be able to afford, and would exclude those who have previously walked through this country?
The Tyndalls Walk was initially marketed to Tasmanians as the “Next Iconic Walk” – a multi-day hut-based bushwalk aiming to capitalise on successes like the Overland Track. What began as a pledge for a low impact walk, with discrete, minimalist huts, has become a resort complex with a price tag to match.
Will the increased costs mean increased fees for walkers’ fees? Previously estimated walking fees for the Tyndalls were so high they out of reach for many Tasmanians. Those fees were estimated to recoup only the maintenance costs based on a past assumption of the annual expenditure of the Three Capes Track being $2.9m, but that figure is now over $6m.
The Liberals are revising the business case for the Cradle Mountain Cableway, after the projected constructions costs skyrocketed from $60m to $190m. They’ve set the precedent – it’s time to review the Tyndalls proposal.
The Tyndalls Range is stunning wild and environmentally important area. The Tasmanian public need reassuring that the Liberals’ new plans will respect the nature surrounding it.
It’s time for the Liberals to hit pause on the Tyndalls Walk development and be clear with Tasmanians about its costs to the public purse and our environment.
