A long-running plan for a waterfront walkway linking Hobart’s CBD and Sandy Bay is at the centre of a new funding push, with a city councillor calling on the University of Tasmania to help pay for it.
The proposed 1.1-kilometre walkway and cycleway would follow the Battery Point foreshore, connecting AJ White Park with Marieville Esplanade.
It would give pedestrians and cyclists a flatter and safer route between the city and Sandy Bay.
Greens councillor Bill Harvey said the university’s move to a split campus across the two areas made it the right time to revive the project, with UTAS likely to be a key beneficiary.
“I think it’s an opportunity to make a pathway for students to move between the city and Sandy Bay in a safe and efficient way, where they can ride their bikes along the Battery Point walkway,” he told Pulse.
Harvey said the route would keep cyclists and pedestrians off Sandy Bay Road, which he described as steeper and more dangerous.
He said the Hobart City Council could not fund the project alone and would need partners to make it happen.
“I’d like the university to really consider how they can contribute to making this happen,” he said.
Harvey said bringing the university on board could help attract state and federal infrastructure funding through a shared funding arrangement.
He has not yet spoken directly with the university but hopes to test its interest, adding that any formal approach should come from the council rather than an individual councillor.
A University of Tasmania spokesperson told Pulse the walkway was “an interesting proposal for Hobart”.
They said “whether it proceeds is ultimately a matter for the local community and the council”.
“As a member of the community, the university looks forward to future engagement with council as it considers the project,” the spokesperson said.
The plan received stage one approval in 2014 but was rejected by a tribunal in 2015 following public backlash over the multimillion-dollar proposal.
Cost estimates have varied over the years, with recent figures putting the project at between $5 million and $10 million.
Harvey said more work was needed on the costings and that newer construction methods could bring the price down.
A survey of 400 Hobart residents last year found 89% supported the walkway.
Harvey said the project could also become a tourism drawcard, floating the idea of linking it to a future Sandy Bay ferry terminal as part of a loop around the River Derwent.
His next step, he said, was to “socialise” the idea before pushing for formal talks with the university.
