A disused quarry at the foot of kunanyi/Mt Wellington will be explored as a potential new gateway precinct after the Hobart City Council secured $3.2 million in federal funding.
The long-running proposal, centred on a shuttle-bus transport hub at the Halls Saddle site, comes as the state government signals it may be open to revisiting the cable car project.
Federal Minister Julie Collins announced the funding on Monday through the Urban Precincts and Partnerships Program.
The money will allow the council to develop detailed plans for the precinct, which sits just outside Wellington Park.
“This program is a really important program about investing … to make sure we get the planning right,” Collins said.
“This is about working with … local governments to make sure that the planning is done well and that we end up with shovel ready projects whereby communities have invested in making sure that the planning stages are done properly and appropriately.”
The $3.2 million package will fund feasibility studies, design and engineering work and community consultation over the next 18 months.
The mountain currently attracts more than 500,000 visitors a year, a figure expected to climb to 700,000 by 2028.
Pinnacle Road carries more than 2,000 vehicles a day at peak times, yet Wellington Park has just 280 parking spaces and limited room to expand.
Visitor numbers already exceed the capacity of the access road and parking areas during busy periods, particularly in heavy snow.
Halls Saddle, a former quarry owned by the council, has been identified as a strong candidate for a park-and-ride site, allowing visitors to leave their cars and take a shuttle bus to higher elevations.
The site could host up to 285 car parks, a visitor centre and a shuttle-bus service.
The wider project would also include upgrades to road infrastructure, walking tracks, recreational facilities and other “amenities on the mountain”.
The council endorsed a feasibility study for the Halls Saddle visitor hub in June 2022.
“The aim was to establish its potential role as the primary road-based gateway entrance facility for servicing visitor access to the mountain,” the council states on its website.
Under the terms of the federal funding, First Nations “perspectives and needs” must be embedded in the project’s planning.
It must also focus on “environmental and climate-responsive principles”.
The renewed push for long-term planning follows the recent release of documents showing the state government is of the opinion a cable car could be the “sustainable transport solution” needed for the mountain.
The cable car proposal was previously rejected by the council and by the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Opponents of the cable car have criticised a recent state government review of kunanyi/Mt Wellington, arguing it is a vehicle for reviving the contentious development.
The government’s action plan is expected in 2026 and the council hopes it will support the development of Halls Saddle.
“Ultimately, we are hoping our proposal will align with the eventual findings of the current strategic review of kunanyi/Mt Wellington,” the council webpage states.
Earlier feasibility work in 2020 estimated the Halls Saddle project at about $5.7 million.
The federal contribution covers planning only, with construction funding yet to be secured.
