Mr BAYLEY question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Out of the blue, your government has announced a review of kunanyi/Mount Wellington. Despite two recent election campaigns, it was not transparently declared in your so-called 2030 Strong Plan. Talking to key kunanyi stakeholders in recent weeks, they had no idea this announcement was coming. Indeed, Aboriginal people, the local community, businesses and others have been engaging in the Wellington Park Trust process of developing a new management plan.
Given the extensive work that is already underway, we can only conclude that this review is a cynical attempt to manipulate the statutory process and to make the case for a cable car that has failed at every attempt since the early 1900s.
Did you or any of your colleagues talk to the Mount Wellington Cableway Company about this review ahead of its announcement?
Can you confirm this review is the government’s way of meeting your Premier’s Address commitment to ‘Develop a pathway for the cable car’?
And why are you so intent on pursuing a deeply unpopular project that has been so comprehensively rejected at every turn?
Madam SPEAKER – I call the Premier. There are about three questions in that, Premier.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. ‘Comprehensively rejected’ by you and the Greens. There are many Tasmanians who want sustainable transport solutions.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER – Premier, if you do not want interjections, perhaps do not talk to them.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER – Thank you. I appreciate you are being incited by the Premier.
Dr Woodruff – Why don’t you start again? That was such a bad start.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Well, it got you up and about.
Madam SPEAKER – It is the last day of the session and I will let you know ‘up and about’ is what we are not doing. Responsible and appropriate is our new mantra. Premier, the answer, please.
Mr ROCKLIFF – My advice is that a range of stakeholders were contacted yesterday.
Dr Woodruff – ‘A range’. Details?
Mr ROCKLIFF – Look, come on.
Dr Woodruff – What do you mean – ‘Look, come on’? You are only trying to unwind what the whole of Hobart does not want.
Mr SPEAKER – The Leader of the House and Leader of the Greens will allow the Premier to address the question, which I am imagining a lot of people are very interested in the answer.
Dr Woodruff – Sorry, Madam Speaker, the Premier was speaking directly to me. It was difficult not interject.
Madam SPEAKER – It is not a point of order but I will remind the Premier that answers go through me. If he does not want to create a fight on the floor of parliament, he should not entice one. Thank you, Premier. You only have one minute and 40 seconds to answer the three questions.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Inciting interjections of those opposite; but most stakeholders have really welcomed this. I note the Greens have not. I note the comments from the Lord Mayor of Hobart, who has not always been excited about our utterances concerning a cable car. What you cannot deny is that there are over 410,000 visitors to kunanyi/Mount Wellington. If you make a comparison to Cradle Mountain, it is 200,000, perhaps 250,000 visitors. It is a well-used and sought‑after iconic Tasmanian visitor destination.
Dr Woodruff – Because it is wild and free.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I would have thought the Greens, of anyone, would want a sustainable transport solution. Everyone knows our position when it comes to the cable car, but we are not making any predetermined views. We want to hear everyone’s views when it comes to the review. That is appropriate. There may well be solutions put on the table we have not thought of. What we do need to ensure is that everyone is listened to, everyone gets sustainable access, including access for people with disabilities to what is an iconic and sought-after visitor destination.
Madam SPEAKER – The Premier’s time has expired. I will hear the supplementary question.
Mr BAYLEY – The question was explicitly whether they had talked to the Mount Wellington Cableway Company. The Premier confirmed he had talked to, or someone had talked to a range of stakeholders – I think – yesterday. Can he detail who those stakeholders are and when they were spoken to?
Madam SPEAKER – To be fair, I do not think you asked if he had spoken to the company. You asked if –
Dr Woodruff -Yes, he did, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER – So, after you spoke about the trust authority, you did ask about the company?
Dr Woodruff -Yes, he did.
Madam SPEAKER – I will take you on faith, but I will review it to make sure, because I do not want to be unfair to the Premier in future ones. I am writing your questions down. You are speaking very fast – for me.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Madam Speaker, in good faith, the member did ask about the cable car company. I can confirm that.
Madam SPEAKER – Thank you, the company, but not the trust – was the question.
Mr Bayley – We did mention the trust.
Madam SPEAKER – You mentioned the trust, but you did not ask the Premier about the trust. However, if the Premier would like to answer it, that would be great.
Mr ROCKLIFF – This has been an interesting interaction, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER – Well, we are all being tremendously open and honest now and I am sure the students of Goulburn St Primary School are delighted, but they have left the room just in time. They walked out of the process. They could wave to everyone else.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Yes, they all looked absolutely enthralled, Madam Speaker.
Madam SPEAKER – They were there walking out through this. Premier, I am going to give you a little latitude with time for your answer because we missed them as they raced –
Mr ROCKLIFF – Madam Speaker, yes, a range of stakeholders were contacted: Hobart City Council, the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania, the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Destination South – there are many.
Dr Woodruff – Aboriginal community? National Parks Association? Wilderness Society?
Mr ROCKLIFF – We are more than happy to put on record who was contacted prior to the announcement. Thank you, Dr Woodruff.
