Dr WOODRUFF – I’ve got some questions about the $600,000 your department allocated to a strategic review of kunanyi/Mt Wellington in the Budget. I’d like a breakdown of how the $600,000 is planned to be spent and whether you are aware that the Wellington Park Management Trust had made a submission for $300,000 to the Treasury Structured Infrastructure Investment Review process for a business case? Were you aware of that when you announced your own strategic review? Now we have a $300,000 review for a business case from the Mt Wellington Management Trust and you are undertaking a $600,000 strategic review.
Mr ABETZ – As I understand it, the $600,000 was an allocation for the department that’s been tasked with undertaking the review.
Mr LIMKIN – The $600,000 is tasked to the department to undertake the review. The elements that the department are doing in that is working with the Mt Wellington/kunanyi trust, who actually already take up what they’ve done. For example, they’ve done a large amount of work in community consultation already.
We’ve met with the trust. I’ve met with the trust personally, and we’ve looked at how to use the work that they’ve already done on the reserve and management plans to enhance our review going forward. Then what we’re doing is looking at the areas of value management, user experience and administration and doing targeted consultation in relation to that, including targeted consultation with the councils and NRE staff to make sure that we consult with workers as well as the community on this.
From that, the government has committed that, in its next 100-day plan, we will release a discussion paper and commence that consultation in October 2024. The intention is to do that.
Dr WOODRUFF – Can you confirm that, as I understand it, there are three reviews of kunanyi/Mt Wellington that are running concurrently at a significant cost to the state? There’s the increased allocation to the Wellington Park Management Trust for the management review, there’s $300,000 funding for the business case and $600,000 for the strategic review. Is that right?
Mr LIMKIN – All I can talk about is the $600,000 that has been allocated to the department. I know that the trust has been allocated some funds. They are currently considering whether they are going to continue with their review, pause their review or continue to work with the department so that we are using the appropriate resources and not duplicating effort.
Those conversations are ongoing. I have met with the trust once. I intend to continue to meet with the trust regularly so that, if they do choose to continue to do their requirements under the act of the management reviews, that we are not duplicating effort, to make sure that we do use taxpayers’ resources in the most efficient and effective way.
Dr WOODRUFF – Did you advise the Wellington Park Management Trust to stop working on their management plan while you conducted the strategic review?
Mr LIMKIN – We have had conversations with the trust about the pros and cons and I did provide them with an email that indicated it was a choice for them.
Dr WOODRUFF – What does that mean?
Mr LIMKIN – Ultimately, I cannot instruct the trust. What I can do is suggest ways forward. I put options on the table to the trust. I understand the trust has made a decision to continue their review. That was the last discussion that I had, but we are ensuring that we do not duplicate effort to ensure the best value for the community. I also want to say that we don’t want to have community engagement fatigue where we’re asking the same questions multiple times. My latest information was the trust was continuing with their elements but we were working together to ensure that we didn’t duplicate effort.
Dr WOODRUFF – A final question. Which stakeholders are you consulting with that you just mentioned then? Who are those stakeholders that you have spoken to?
Mr LIMKIN – We have engaged with the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, we have engaged with peak government agencies such as Tourism Tasmania, Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania. We’ve also talked to councils and other peak bodies as well.
