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Cable Car over Mt Wellington's Organ Pipes 10-Jul-2014 At 12:57:38 PM Doug

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On 4/02/2014 lacto wrote:
>No need for a crafty plan ! the case already stands
>1 The road is windy and dangerous and the surface and width is not up
>to current standards .
This is errant nonsense. Full size tourist coaches travel to the summit and I am unaware of any accidents involving them. The road up Mt Wellington is wider than many tourist roads I've travelled on in Europe, including some in the Pyrenees, Corsica and the Dolomites in Italy.
>2 The transmission towers at the top can and do interfere with cars ignition
>and auto locking .
Irrelevant to the discussion, and such a minor problem affecting so few people that it doesn't warrant a mention. In any case, that problem might actually have been resolved as I haven't heard of any instances for a very long time. Whatever. Putting a cable car up will not get rid of the towers; new technology might eventually do so.
>3 Save carbon , soo- much fuel used getting all those vehicles up and
>down v's a carbon free electric (renewable energy hydro )
How many tourists who have driven to Hobart will choose to take the cable car in preference to their own vehicle, when riding the cable car will cost $45 per head? The cable car proponents have backed away from their initial position that the road "might have to close" as it was simply too unpopular.
>4 Currently no control on who and when people go up.
And the problem with that is ... ?
>5 If they can find $16 M for a cadburys tourist facility of course the
>money will be there for such a job creating project 1
MWCC have explicitly stated that their project will be self-funded, i.e. they are not asking for taxpayers' money.

Flippancy aside, the situation has now reached a critical stage in regards to the current proposal to build a cable car on Mount Wellington. MWCC have now put a submission before the Wellington Park Management Trust to have the Pinnacle Special Zone expanded to allow for the construction of a cable car that will run directly above the Organ Pipes, with a 30 metre high tower perched on the edge of the Columns, and a 15 metre high terminus situated directly behind The Columns.
You can see their plan here: http://www.mtwellingtoncablecar.com/#!the-route/c18s9

However, the MWCC's plan is in direct contravention of a number of guidelines in the Wellington Park Management Plan.

There is nothing in this for climbers: we stand to lose a great deal. The potential damage to the Organ Pipes from the blasting that is required is one issue. How much concrete will have to be poured to support the top "anchor" of the cable car? How much for the building itself? How much blasting to put in the footings for both of those structures? It is inconceivable that there will not be damage to the Organ Pipes, let alone the aesthetic implications.

If you have climbed on the Organ Pipes on Mount Wellington, I urge you to contact members of the Wellington Park Management Trust and voice your opposition to the proposal, you might be able to help stop it by writing to members of the Wellington Park Management Trust. Their contact details are as follows:

Dr Christine Mucha cmucha@iinet.net.au
Ald Bill Harvey billharvey@iinet.net.au
Ald Philip C*#ker philip_council@netspace.net.au
Ms Rita Warrener rita.warrener@tourism.tas.gov.au
Ald Haydyn Nielsen haydyn.nielsen@gcc.tas.gov.au
Mr Ashley Rushton ashley.rushton@parks.tas.gov.au
Mr Cam Crawford Cam.Crawford@taswater.com.au
Dr John Whittington john.whittington@dpipwe.tas.gov.au