The Hobart City Council has approved an application to open up Hunter’s Slipyard in Battery Point for the restoration of the iconic Cartela.
The historic Tasmanian vessel, built in 1912, the same year as the Titanic, began taking on water at its berth on the Huon River just last week.
Its long-awaited restoration has been years in the making and the partial sinking has made that effort even more urgent.
According to the application presented to councillors on Wednesday, the vessel must be hauled up and out of the River Derwent before repairs can begin.
The proposal includes replacing deteriorated wooden planks to ensure Cartela is seaworthy once more.
Work will be carried out on weekdays only, between 8am and 4:30pm and is expected to take two years.
The use of the slipway for the restoration project has received strong support from locals, with four submissions in favour and only one in opposition.
“As a nearby resident of the Slipway I sincerely welcome the prospect of seeing work begin on the historic vessel Cartela,” one local said.
“The proposed slipping of the ship in the Marine Precinct is just what the area needs … I cannot see any reason why this work should not go ahead.”
Councillor John Kelly told the meeting the council should be going out of its way to support the restoration project.
“If you’ve lived in Hobart for any duration of time, it’s just such an important part to our heritage and the fabric of society,” he said.
“This will be a great thing for Battery Point. We talk about walkways and bikeways and all that. This will be just outstanding in what it does.”
