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Jul 18 2023
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New Planning Body – Emasculating Councils

By Media releases

The Premier Jeremy Rockliff claims that too many development proposals are held up or opposed in Councils across our state but he is ignoring the reality that most of these fail because they do not meet the relevant planning scheme.

 

The Cable Car is a prime example of a project which was rejected by the community then rejected by the Carlton and United Breweries, then rejected by the Hobart City Council and finally rejected comprehensively by the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The project failed because it did not meet the requirements of the planning laws.

 

“This latest proposal from a dying government is yet another attempt to reduce the role of local government and thereby reduce the public’s input into decision making around developments that directly affect them.”

 

“Poorly designed proposals which do not meet the community expectations or planning scheme requirements, like the Cable Car will always fail”

 

“Instead of looking for more ways to bypass proper scrutiny and reduce the public’s say in planning we would call on the government to work to protect our wonderful environment such as kunanyi by expediting the review into the Wellington Park Management Plan and including proper consideration of the Aboriginal heritage values.”

 

Ted Cutlan

spokesperson for ROCC

 

 

 

Mar 03 2023
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Nepotism and farce alive and well in Rockliff’s cable car crusade

By Media releases

Despite a comprehensive, independent rejection of the kunanyi cable car proponent’s self-declared ‘best effort’, a new chairman of the Mount Wellington Cableway Company has been appointed to pursue the project once Premier Rockliff decides how to sideline proper process and fast-track an approval for the detested, non-compliant development. The new chair of the company has been, until very recently, ‘Principal Advisor’ in Premier Rockliff’s office, presumably involved in delivering the Premier’s requested advice on ‘developing a pathway to support’[i] the approval of the development.

Nala Mansell, campaigner for The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre condemned the Premier’s lifeline to the project, not least after he this week claimed in his State of the State Address to be ‘working hard’ to listen and learn from Aboriginal people.  “This is a dead end project that has failed repeated tests,” Ms Mansell said. “We have been clear about the impact it would have on our heritage and yet Premier Rockliff wants to ride roughshod over our interests, trash our heritage and push on with a new, dodgy approval.”

“This is happening during a review of the Aboriginal Heritage Act, legislation the Government has acknowledged ‘does not provide effective mechanisms for protection’. This is a farce that treats Aboriginal people, our heritage and his own Government’s review with contempt.

Residents Opposed to the Cable Car highlighted the fact that in the Hobart City Council’s consultation process, 72% of a massive 16,000+ representations, opposed the development.

“This is a toxic proposal that has been repeatedly condemned by experts, adjudicators and the community. The planning tribunal accepted that it would not deliver economic or community benefits and it failed to meet environmental, scenic, amenity and geo-heritage requirements.”

“This appointment, straight out of the Premier’s office, looks shonky. Has the new chair been working on Premier Rockliff’s ‘advice’?

“A Premier who promised to govern with ‘heart’ looks set to sideline proper process, be complicit in nepotism and alienate a massive segment of the community that loves kunanyi and appreciates transparency and accountability in Government. This is the Tamar Valley pulp mill all over again, and just look at how that worked out,- for the project, Gunns and Premier Paul Lennon, who left office with a 17% approval rating.”

More information: Nala Mansell Campaign Manager Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre – 0428 662 228 or Vica Bayley Spokesperson ROCC – 0400 644 939

 

 

 

Nov 11 2022
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TASCAT decision should be the end of a kunanyi cable car

By Media releases
ROCC media release 3/11/22:

TASCAT decision should be the end of a kunanyi cable car

 

Residents Opposed to the Cable Car (ROCC) has welcomed today’s decision of Tasmania’s planning tribunal to refuse a permit for the development of a cable car on kunanyi/Mt Wellington, and thanks the many thousands of people who have joined the campaign to protect kunanyi, donated or made formal submissions.

In the wake of this decision, it is clear the developer has an obligation to abandon its proposal and leave the Mountain cable car-free.

“We’re relieved that this decision is yet another comprehensive rejection of the cable car and thankful to the thousands of people who have stood up for kunanyi, donated to our legal fund and cared enough to take action to protect what is such a special place for so many,” said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for ROCC.

“This is a clear signal to the proponent, its shareholders and supporters to give up on their vision to privatise the summit of the mountain and abandon this, or any alternative cable car development.

“This saga has cost the community dearly – in time, energy, cohesion and money, and it is time it ended. The developer is the only one that can do that and the onus is on it to accept this decision and allow the community to move on.”

The decision confirms 18 grounds of non-compliance with management and planning provisions, spanning noise and visual impact, geoheritage and biodiversity.

“This is a comprehensive, formal rejection of a development that has never had a social license.”

“This is the eighth incarnation of a cable car on kunanyi and the only one to make to a development application. All have been vigorously opposed by the community and we acknowledge both campaigns past, and colleagues present. This includes our legal team, expert witnesses, other joined parties, Hobart City Councillors and Greens representatives in State and Federal Parliament.”

Key statements from the tribunal decision include:

  • 215 – the Appellant has failed to adequately demonstrate either a significant long term economic community benefit or a significant long term social community benefit.
  • 229 – Therefore the long term impact on vegetation values, insofar that they form habitat for threatened species will not be remedied.
  • 260 – Construction of the pinnacle centre would result in long term or permanent changes to, and loss of visibility of landform features.
  • 342 – The loss (visual amenity) is demonstrated by the manner in which tower 3 and the cables (with or without cable cars) project from the landform above the Organ Pipes escarpment and the cables traverse over the face of the Organ Pipes from a wide range of public and well-used locations.
  • 354  – The form, scale, design and location of the pinnacle centre does not harmonise with the site.
Jul 20 2021
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71% community opposition, 21 grounds of refusal – no go for the cable car

By Media releases

The independent expert report analysing the kunanyi/Mt Wellington cable car Development Application (DA) has identified many diverse areas where the project is non-compliant with the Wellington Park Management Plan (WPMP) and Hobart Interim Planning Scheme (HIPS) and details a massive 71% of the record 16,589 representations objected to the project.

read the full media release (PDF)

Feb 25 2021
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Tribunal decision a welcome indictment on cable car developer

By Media releases

The rejection of a planning appeal by the kunanyi/Mt Wellington cable car developer that sought to minimise the assessment of the impact of its development on Aboriginal heritage values is a welcome confirmation that as part of a Development Application, the Wellington Park Management Plan applies and the requirement to conduct an on-site heritage assessment is to be enforced.

read the full media release (PDF)