Dear Minister,
The Tasmanian Greens do not believe the ‘Our Mountain’s Future’ is a credible or
necessary process.
It is:
• not conducted by an independent expert;
• overseen by a steering committee of Governmental department heads;
• largely encouraging community input via a shallow, quantitative survey;
• initiated parallel to the proper, statutory process for values articulation
and management planning, being conducted by the Wellington Park
management Trust.
Social media and other commentary from an elected Government official has clearly
signalled the intent of the review is to enable changes to facilitate the approval of
private commercial development, in particular the long-running and independently
rejected cable car proposal.
The Wellington Park Management Trust is part way through the statutory process to
review and update the Management Plan for Wellington Park. This process has
already invited public input into the articulation of the natural, cultural and social
values of kunanyi/Mt Wellington. It has commenced a deep and genuine process of
engagement with Tasmanian Aboriginal people about the significance of kunanyi and
their aspirations for its use, management and access. This is a welcome shift in the
way consultation with palawa people usually occurs in Lutruwita/Tasmania.
Kunanyi/Mt Wellington is a spectacular and immensely valuable backdrop to
Nipaluna/Hobart and encompasses expansive country, physically connected in
formal conservation reserves to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Areas. Its
values are well understood, articulated and protected, with the Aboriginal cultural
heritage, Cultural Landscape and spiritual values the notable exception.
A greater role in decision making and management should be given to Aboriginal
people and we note recommendation 13 of the government’s Pathway to Truth-Telling and Treaty Report that consideration
be given to the creation of an Aboriginal Protected Area tenure for kunanyi.
Aboriginal heritage remains woefully under protected in Tasmania, with the
Government acknowledging via Tabling Report on the review of the Aboriginal
Heritage Act 1975, presented to parliament in July 2021that ‘it is clear that the Act
itself does not provide effective mechanisms for protection.’
Infrastructure and access issues associated with the popularity of kunanyi have been
a live issue for many years, with action to address them stymied by the proposal for
the cable car. So long as a cable car is touted, interest, investment and political
action on addressing genuine issues evaporates as all focus is drawn towards that
proposal. The Halls Saddle visitor centre and park access facility is case in point.
For the avoidance of any doubt, the Greens do not believe the cable car is a
transport proposal. Primarily, it is a land grab for some of the city’s prime
undeveloped reserved land, for privatisation via long term lease and
commercialisation through the construction of large-scale hospitality infrastructure.
The cable car has been assessed, including a de novo assessment by the
independent planning tribunal on appeal by the proponent, and comprehensively
rejected. It is clear that, so long as there remains the intent and mechanisms to
protect the inherent values of kunanyi, a cable car and associated commercial
development would never be approved.
Irrespective, the community would never allow it to be built.
Any vision for kunanyi/Mt Wellington should explicitly rule out a cable car and private
commercial development on the summit.
The road to the summit should remain open and the Wellington Park Management
trust processes be allowed to continue to refine protection mechanisms for the
values of kunanyi, and explore options for managing visitation.
Passive recreation infrastructure that remains publicly owned by existing landowners
should be maintained. Mountain bike access on the eastern face of kunanyi should
remain constrained to below The Springs.
Wellington Park should remain in the ownership of existing owners. The Tasmanian
Government has demonstrated it cannot be trusted to properly manage national
parks, including the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA). It is a
matter of fact that the current government directed secret changes to be made to the
TWWHA management plan, to facilitate tourism development that would be
disallowed under long-standing management prescriptions and harm park values.
Tasmania’s reserve system and parks management agency remains consistently
underfunded by the Tasmanian Government.
Funding is a significant issue for Wellington Park and we would support additional
investment by the Tasmanian government into values’ management, passive
recreation and other publicly owned visitor amenity infrastructure.
History has shown Hobartians will stand up to defend kunanyi. As articulated in the
Wellington park Trust’s Historical Notes of Wellington Park, ‘1905 First application
proposal made for an aerial tramway from Cascades to the summit (in the following
hundred years at least seven applications for a similar cable car concept would be
made, all strongly protested by citizens of Hobart). The eighth such proposal is the
one comprehensively rejected by the planning tribune. Kunanyi is no place for a
cable car.
This review should not be used as a vehicle to undermine the statutory processes
and role of the Wellington Park Management Trust.
Warm regards,
Vica Bayley MP, Helen Burnet MP & Cassy O’Connor MLC.
