Mr BAYLEY question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
A cable car up Kunanyi/Mount Wellington has been comprehensively rejected by the Independent Planning Tribunal, the Hobart City Council, the community and Aboriginal people. It’s been determined it would have negative impacts on the natural and social values of the mountain and Aboriginal cultural heritage values. Despite this, you’ve promised to create a pathway to make it happen. We’ve always said your review of Kunanyi/Mount Wellington was to develop a pathway, and the action plan released yesterday confirms it. The main action of this plan is to transfer ownership and significant responsibility for the mountain to a new management body. What exactly is the difference between the management body we already have and the one you’ve proposed, other than its ownership of the land that you’ll be able to stack the new body with cable car cronies?
Mr Abetz – You’ve already made up your mind.
Mr Bayley – The tribunal made it up, thanks very much. They assessed it.
The SPEAKER – Order. I ask the House to settle, please.
ANSWER
On 2 September, the Tasmanian Government released the outer mountains future action plan, marking the conclusion of the strategic review of Kunanyi/Mount Wellington, and the broader Wellington Park. It’s informed by 9000 community responses and further consultation with key stakeholders. The action plan provides a practical pathway to prepare the park for the future. The action plan seeks to protect the park’s natural and cultural values while improving access, infrastructure, fire management as well, importantly, and the overall visitor experience.
A key recommendation is to establish a new landowning managing authority, bringing responsibility for strategic oversight, land ownership and on ground management under a single body. This will provide clearer accountability and allow infrastructure maintenance, fire management and investment to be planned and delivered in a more coordinated way. You agree with all that?
Members interjecting.
Mr Ellis – You nodded.
Mr Bayley – That’s what the plan says.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Thank you very much. Fire management, which I’m sure we will all agree with, will be an immediate priority with the government advancing a coordinated park‑wide approach to reducing bushfire risk and strengthening preparedness‑
Mr Ellis – That’s right.
Mr ROCKLIFF – That’s right, minister for Emergency Services.
Dr Woodruff – All of this should be happening, and it can be happening now.
Mr Bayley – That’s right, it is happening.
The SPEAKER – Order.
Mr ROCKLIFF – The action plan recognises that access is a complex issue and that a mix of solutions is likely to be required to meet future demand, of course. Any future proposal will need to be assessed on its merits through the appropriate statutory and planning processes.
Dr Woodruff – And you’re going to stack the management authority.
Mr Bayley – You’re going to rewrite the management plan.
The SPEAKER – Leader of the Greens, allow the Premier to finish, please.
Mr ROCKLIFF – And the Wellington Park Management Trust and existing management arrangements will remain in place during a transition and so, I’m assuming you support the planning processes and what I’ve outlined, indeed, today. This is a complex issue given the varied views and, of course, land tenure as well but also, Tasmanians want access to their mountain, Kunanyi.
Dr Woodruff – So, it’s all about the cable car.
The SPEAKER – Leader of the Greens, this is your first warning.
Mr ROCKLIFF – There are opportunities for low carbon footprint access as well, and we will work through those matters. The action plan sets out a pathway to delivering on the vision and addresses concerns relating to land management, infrastructure access, cultural issues ‑ cultural experiences, rather, fire management and the overall visitor amenity, which is very, very important.
Supplementary Question
Mr BAYLEY – The Premier mentioned that the action plan is about protecting the natural and cultural values. The tribunal, in 2023, rejected the cable car up Kunanyi/Mount Wellington because of its negative impact on those natural and cultural values, yet in 2023 you said you wanted to create a pathway to approve it. Do you still see a cable car as part of the vision for Kunanyi/Mount Wellington?
Mr Abetz – What a good idea.
Mr Shelton – Better protect it from fire.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Well, the action plan sets out a pathway to delivering on the vision and addresses concerns relating to land management, as I’ve said in other matters. The actions each connect back to –
Dr Woodruff – Just be honest.
Mr Bayley – I’m asking about your vision, Premier. Is the cable car still your vision?
The SPEAKER – Deputy Leader of the Greens, this is your first warning. Leader of the Greens, this is your second warning. The Premier is on his feet answering your question, allow him to finish, please.
Mr ROCKLIFF – The actions each connect back to the community’s aspirations as set out in the vision and draw on further consultation with the Wellington Park Management Trust, local councils, tourism stakeholders and fire management agencies. My view on sustainable access and transport at Kunanyi/Mount Wellington has not changed
