cable car and pinnacle centre on mt wellingon hobart

[digitalgiraffe]

Their website states 7 different routes with no detail on any of them, so your statement is unconvincing to me
I've followed the whole process for the last 2 years. Everything is on the facebook page, it's hard to find but if you have time to dig through it all it's there. Personally I'm a fan on the tip site - pinnacle route. Nice and close to Cascade Brewery and where a lot of mountain bike trails end. Three towers is great also. The spans they can cover now without towers is very impressive

The Gondola's would be running all day and above the canopy, therfore far more visible than a bus operating amidst the trees on the road, and next to the organ pipes? Yuk, you've lost me.
How many do you think there would be? There would most likely be 2-3 and they don't have to be bright red or anything like that? What's wrong with them running past the organ pipes? It is better than them running straight up the face of them, even though that would be pretty amazing it wouldn't pass a visual impact assessment I'm guessing. If it can be done tastefully in a WHA area like Cairns then there is no reason why it can't be done better than that here.

Wouldn't a bike friendly shuttle bus do the same job? No-one mountain bikes under snow cover that I know of.
Not at all. There were a couple of downhill races from big bend to Glenorchy bike park a few years ago and the shuttle trip up the mountain was horrible and took far longer than driving a car. It's not all about access to the snow. To my knowledge XC riders do head out from big bend even when there is a covering of snow. If I could start a run down the mountain with a bit of snow up high I'd enjoy riding several different terrains in a single run down the mountain.

[Luuk Veltkamp]

Apparantly its tassies most vistited tourist attraction but yes they should close the road as well

This is the only major problem I have with this project, The road should remain open, closing the road would give the cable car a monopoly of access with charges of $50 + per person. I cant afford to pay that sort of money every time we have a free afternoon for a walk on the mountain with my young family!!

How would we then access all the many walking tracks beginning from anywhere other then the very top of the mountain with young children which we and many people do regularly.

I have followed this proposal from the beginning and at the beginning the proponent made it very clear that the road should be closed, citing the usual eco nonsense that company's like to spin in order to create the perception of environmental credibility. But the motivation was clearly the need for monopoly access for the operation to be viable. In the last 6 months the proponent has backed away from that position probably because the issue was looking to be the projects undoing, and now claims the business case still holds water if the road remained open, or in there words "there is little need to restrict existing road use".

The next paragraph come close to contradicting this perception by saying "common sense may suggest closing the road to private cars, taxis & buses could save the government a significant cost of road improvements, reduce carbon emissions to zero & save wildlife from ending up as road kill"

Which makes me wonder if the proponents are providing themselves with a way out if the project turns out to be unprofitable after its first season and then may apply pressure on the government to close the road once the cable car is operational, forcing me and my family to pay $200+ every other weekend just to go for a walk on our mountain.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb Company pays the NSW government close to $5m a year for 20 years for the right to monopoly access to the Bridge, they also charge punters between $200 to $300 per person to cover that cost, Mt Wellington is worth just as much to Hobart residents as that bridge is to Sydneysiders,

If the proponent can provide an unambiguous assurance that the project will be strong and profitable without ever needing a access monopoly, I believe support for the project may increase.

[frenchy_84]

The MWCC FAQ (http://www.mtwellingtoncablecar.com/#!faq/cj38) is worth a read, it is written by the developers (so its all sunshine and lollypops) however it does address alot of the queiries brought up.

[Strider]

Fingers crossed the ban is lifted so these guys can at least run a proper feasibility study. If the numbers add up then that's great, if not then what can you do? At least give them a chance.

The ban was lifted late last year, at which point MWCC was formed. This survey IS the feasibility study!

No the ban is still in place, they released a draft of their new management plan. They will make an announcement in April on their decision.

I think the wording is confusing. From what I can gather, the ban was lifted however this does not guarantee development. Hence this will be determined following the draft review process.

[digitalgiraffe]

This is the only major problem I have with this project, The road should remain open, closing the road would give the cable car a monopoly of access with charges of $50 + per person. I cant afford to pay that sort of money every time we have a free afternoon for a walk on the mountain with my young family!!

How would we then access all the many walking tracks beginning from anywhere other then the very top of the mountain with young children which we and many people do regularly.

I have followed this proposal from the beginning and at the beginning the proponent made it very clear that the road should be closed, citing the usual eco nonsense that company's like to spin in order to create the perception of environmental credibility. But the motivation was clearly the need for monopoly access for the operation to be viable. In the last 6 months the proponent has backed away from that position probably because the issue was looking to be the projects undoing, and now claims the business case still holds water if the road remained open, or in there words "there is little need to restrict existing road use".

The next paragraph come close to contradicting this perception by saying "common sense may suggest closing the road to private cars, taxis & buses could save the government a significant cost of road improvements, reduce carbon emissions to zero & save wildlife from ending up as road kill"

Which makes me wonder if the proponents are providing themselves with a way out if the project turns out to be unprofitable after its first season and then may apply pressure on the government to close the road once the cable car is operational, forcing me and my family to pay $200+ every other weekend just to go for a walk on our mountain.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb Company pays the NSW government close to $5m a year for 20 years for the right to monopoly access to the Bridge, they also charge punters between $200 to $300 per person to cover that cost, Mt Wellington is worth just as much to Hobart residents as that bridge is to Sydneysiders,

If the proponent can provide an unambiguous assurance that the project will be strong and profitable without ever needing a access monopoly, I believe support for the project may increase.

The proponent has never said that the road should be closed, they have always voiced idea's to gauge public feedback. Obviously it would be better for them as a business to have no road to the pinnacle but then again it would be tough on an information centre that would be missing out on the mountain visitors who can't drive there. What happens with the road if this goes ahead is up to the HCC and the WPMT. If anything reducing the traffic on the road will extend its life by a few years.

Obviously not everyone wants to have to use a CC to go up and down the mountain. I know I wouldn't use it every single time. The idea would never be passed.

[wayno]

you dont need to close the road, just move the carpark to below the summit necessitating a bit of a walk to reduce the impact of a carpark up there.
you can also implement a shuttle for the less able to get to the top...

[Hallu]

Id argue its culture clash. My partner is asian. She doesnt like a lot of the asian tourists either for the reasons ive outlined

+1. The fact is, most tourists that are here on big bus tours or here just for some quick photo ops in Australia and NZ don't know how to behave, whatever their origin.

On the other hand, a lot of immigrants settling in Australia aren't like that once they know and respect the area, many even start taking bushwalking and stuff. Most tourists don't read interpretive signs and don't understand that ecosystems in NZ and Australia are fragile and need to be taken care of. They're just here to have fun and don't care about the rest. This is why unfortunately places like Mt Wellington and Cataract Gorge are amongst the most popular in Tasmania, and to me Cataract Gorge is the worst place I've seen in Tasmania (ok I haven't visited Burnie but I've driven through it and it still looked better).

This is also why it is kind of pointless to do a survey amongst locals for a cable car that clearly targets tourists and not locals. If you're a local, you go to Tasman Peninsula, to Bruny Island, the South-West, Mount Field etc... but you don't go to Mt Wellington every month...

[digitalgiraffe]

This is also why it is kind of pointless to do a survey amongst locals for a cable car that clearly targets tourists and not locals. If you're a local, you go to Tasman Peninsula, to Bruny Island, the South-West, Mount Field etc... but you don't go to Mt Wellington every month...

What about the dozens and dozens of mountain bikers on the mountain every week? They are locals who would love the option of jumping on a cablecar.

I'm local and I love spending time on the mountain almost weekly, sometimes multiple times a week.

[Hallu]

Well it depends on the cable car but why would you assume they would let you take your bike in the cabin ? They would rather fill the cabin with people.

[digitalgiraffe]

Well it depends on the cable car but why would you assume they would let you take your bike in the cabin ? They would rather fill the cabin with people.

Not assuming. It's been asked plenty of times on their facebook page and they have every intention of catering for mountain bikers. It would make no business sense not to since the sport is growing every year and the number of bikers on the mountain continue to grow.

[sthughes]

Yeah I'm assuming something like the setup at Kuranda Skyrail, where the pylons were flown in by helicopter and no more than 10m x 10m area disturbed (and rehabilitated) for each, workers walked to sites daily. Would like to see better looking towers however. If Kuranda can make a go of it, Hobart should do it easy.

I'd take my MTB to Hobart asap after the thing opened.

[wayno]

queenstown they put racks on the outside of the gondolas for transporting mountain bikes up....

[stepbystep]

This is also why it is kind of pointless to do a survey amongst locals for a cable car that clearly targets tourists and not locals. If you're a local, you go to Tasman Peninsula, to Bruny Island, the South-West, Mount Field etc... but you don't go to Mt Wellington every month...

What about the dozens and dozens of mountain bikers on the mountain every week? They are locals who would love the option of jumping on a cablecar.

I'm local and I love spending time on the mountain almost weekly, sometimes multiple times a week.

Agree, except the cable car bit It's a locals playground. I duck up there for short walks all the time, sometimes if I'm in town I'll go up to The Lost World for some lunch!

[stepbystep]

Yeah I'm assuming something like the setup at Kuranda Skyrail, where the pylons were flown in by helicopter and no more than 10m x 10m area disturbed (and rehabilitated) for each, workers walked to sites daily. Would like to see better looking towers however. If Kuranda can make a go of it, Hobart should do it easy.

I'd take my MTB to Hobart asap after the thing opened.

Once again the Kurunda thing isn't visible to an entire city! And there is already awesome Mtn bike tracks up there Simon, come and get amongst it!

[digitalgiraffe]

Yeah I'm assuming something like the setup at Kuranda Skyrail, where the pylons were flown in by helicopter and no more than 10m x 10m area disturbed (and rehabilitated) for each, workers walked to sites daily. Would like to see better looking towers however. If Kuranda can make a go of it, Hobart should do it easy.

I'd take my MTB to Hobart asap after the thing opened.

Once again the Kurunda thing isn't visible to an entire city! And there is already awesome Mtn bike tracks up there Simon, come and get amongst it!

And from the city if this starts at the tip site it will be barely visible. Good luck spotting the cables from the city. You might see a gondola go up or down, it's hardly offensive.

[stepbystep]

Yeah I'm assuming something like the setup at Kuranda Skyrail, where the pylons were flown in by helicopter and no more than 10m x 10m area disturbed (and rehabilitated) for each, workers walked to sites daily. Would like to see better looking towers however. If Kuranda can make a go of it, Hobart should do it easy.

I'd take my MTB to Hobart asap after the thing opened.

Once again the Kurunda thing isn't visible to an entire city! And there is already awesome Mtn bike tracks up there Simon, come and get amongst it!

And from the city if this starts at the tip site it will be barely visible. Good luck spotting the cables from the city. You might see a gondola go up or down, it's hardly offensive.

To you! For this to be even remotely viable the gondolas would have to be operating 12-16 hrs a day in constant rotation going past The Organ Pipes. I think more than a few will find this offensive. As I said before they have nominated 7 base stations and their is scant information on any of the routes.

[Hallu]

I really find weird that people call these "gondolas" lol. Who came up with that ?

[sthughes]

...there is already awesome Mtn bike tracks up there Simon, come and get amongst it!

The tracks are brilliant, but not everyone like riding UP mountains all the time. There's this thing they've invented called "downhill mountain biking" it's a lot of fun, but a PITA having to constantly car shuffle back up

[Hallu]

Well then ask for an elevator in Mt Wellington, not a cable car lol

[digitalgiraffe]

...there is already awesome Mtn bike tracks up there Simon, come and get amongst it!

The tracks are brilliant, but not everyone like riding UP mountains all the time. There's this thing they've invented called "downhill mountain biking" it's a lot of fun, but a PITA having to constantly car shuffle back up

Exactly. With a cable car on the mountain it could help Tasmania become the go to mtb destination in the southern hemisphere.

Fingers crossed they receive funding for the DH specific trail planned from 'Chalet' to 'Junction'.

[Nuts]

hmmm, i see a tenuous conservation issue here, minimal impact.. the link to bushwalking seems equally vague. So far what i'm reading seems more 'concerns about amenity'. Maybe they are valid but it's just another view across a city!! do the opponents wear bifocals with rosey lower lens? there are row after row of houses!!, a gondola could only enhance such a view no? Even if it doesn't the sweet sound of music should make up for it? ( ) Really, c'mon, someone can do better than 'amenity' surely? And mtb isn't bushwalking and has little to do with conservation, fun perhaps (and if park use can ease the interest in burdening other parks for income a good thing). Not every proposal in 'wild' areas needs to rely on a conservation argument but if not I'm loosing interest rapidly. Another green m&m.

[wayno]

so what if the cablecar is built and it turns out its not profitable and htey stop operating it.... then you've just got a bunch of wires on some pylons serving no purpose... do people still want to take the gamble of the cablecar going ahead?

[stepbystep]

hmmm, i see a tenuous conservation issue here, minimal impact.. the link to bushwalking seems equally vague. So far what i'm reading seems more 'concerns about amenity'. Maybe they are valid but it's just another view across a city!! do the opponents wear bifocals with rosey lower lens? there are row after row of houses!!, a gondola could only enhance such a view no? Even if it doesn't the sweet sound of music should make up for it? ( ) Really, c'mon, someone can do better than 'amenity' surely? And mtb isn't bushwalking and has little to do with conservation, fun perhaps (and if park use can ease the interest in burdening other parks for income a good thing). Not every proposal in 'wild' areas needs to rely on a conservation argument but if not I'm loosing interest rapidly. Another green m&m.

This thread isn't here for your amusement nuts, sheesh! Go and read a book.

If they get a purpose built downhill can't they have some sort of cheap skitow type thing next to the track? Why a massive great cable car service? As if tourists want sweaty/grubby mtn bikers sharing a sealed glass box.

[vagrom]

The top of Wellington and the Tops track heading off to the Styx are developments waitng to happen. Wellington is Hobart's foremost feature and you still can't get a coffee up there (?). If it goes on to the list of exciting things to do while you're visiting Hobart, largely attractive because it's still small not garishly developed, then it could be a great drawcard for the state, especially in the unlikely event that it was picked up by someone with deep enough pockets to make it world class.
If it's too dear to go on for some, oh well. But the Pinnacle Centre that goes with it will be truly great.

[Nuts]

I'm all deflated sbs. I think i'll choose the 'not now, maybe later' option and go back to reading the Tarkine thread

[digitalgiraffe]

If they get a purpose built downhill can't they have some sort of cheap skitow type thing next to the track? Why a massive great cable car service? As if tourists want sweaty/grubby mtn bikers sharing a sealed glass box.

Are you serious? You would rather have a clearing running from the chalet to cascade brewery that is only capable of shuttling mountain bikers rather than something that requires no corridor cleared just because you have an issue with mountain bikers? What an amazing display of ignorance.

[stepbystep]

If they get a purpose built downhill can't they have some sort of cheap skitow type thing next to the track? Why a massive great cable car service? As if tourists want sweaty/grubby mtn bikers sharing a sealed glass box.

Are you serious? You would rather have a clearing running from the chalet to cascade brewery that is only capable of shuttling mountain bikers rather than something that requires no corridor cleared just because you have an issue with mountain bikers? What an amazing display of ignorance.

Wow that's not very nice, but as they say ignorance is bliss

:( I'm all deflated sbs. I think i'll choose the 'not now, maybe later' option and go back to reading the Tarkine thread

Sorry nuts, I was just trying to entertain myself, as you were

[whynotwalk]

And from the city if this starts at the tip site it will be barely visible. Good luck spotting the cables from the city. You might see a gondola go up or down, it's hardly offensive.

And how many Hobartians live in the city? From where I live, in South Hobart, it will be a permanent and highly-visible scar in the sky between us and the mountain. The same for many thousands of households in many other western suburbs. That makes it effectively a sky mine exporting the view - and the profits - somewhere else. Sorry, to me that IS offensive.

cheers

Peter

[digitalgiraffe]

And how many Hobartians live in the city? From where I live, in South Hobart, it will be a permanent and highly-visible scar in the sky between us and the mountain. The same for many thousands of households in many other western suburbs. That makes it effectively a sky mine exporting the view - and the profits - somewhere else. Sorry, to me that IS offensive.
cheers
Peter

Why would there be a permanent high visibility scar? the cables are near invisible from a distance.

Why are you worried about someones profits?

[Hallu]

So a cable car installation is just some cables floating in the air ? Cabins and pylons are invisible ?