A proposed three-day walking track through the Tyndall Range has opened for public consultation, with the government spruiking its tourism benefits while the Greens question its cost and accessibility.
Parks Minister Nick Duigan said the track would showcase Tasmania’s rugged West Coast and build on the success of the Overland and Three Capes tracks.
“This walk aims to enhance Tasmania’s reputation as one of the great walking destinations in the world,” he said.
The 31-kilometre track would include accommodation at Lake Huntley and Lake Mary for up to 44 walkers, featuring communal huts, private pods and camping platforms.
Planned infrastructure includes hybrid power systems using solar, micro-hydro and battery storage, along with ranger huts, day shelters and helipads.
The project has been in development since 2018, when the government first sought public input on potential walking tracks.
A 2019 internal assessment report shows the Tyndall Range was chosen from 35 proposals for its “extraordinarily spectacular and dramatic landscape” and its proximity to Queenstown.
But the price tag has since doubled from an initial $20 million commitment to $40 million, drawing criticism from the Greens.
Greens parks spokesperson Tabatha Badger said the documents released for consultation were “either misleading, incorrect or outdated”.
She questioned why planning papers refer to off-site prefabrication work scheduled for September 2025, when the $40 million investment is yet to be signed off by the Public Works Committee.
“The minister needs to be clear, has the work been done or is the draft report out for comment misleading and incorrect?” she said.
Badger also argued the four-week consultation period was too short, given the “hundreds of pages of information” to review – especially when other parks projects had received six weeks.
The Greens are calling for an updated feasibility study to justify the increased costs after “several years of inflation, project design changes, route alterations and more huts planned to be built”.
Badger further criticised the estimated $288 tent-site cost and the exclusion of free walkers from using publicly owned facilities.
“It’s appalling that we have reached a point where the Liberal government is locking up public land for a new walk paid for by Tasmanians, then charging a premium price that’s unattainable for most people,” she said.
She also questioned the investment’s timing during a budget crunch, saying Parks and Wildlife needed more funding for core services.
The government has emphasised the project’s regional economic benefits, including construction jobs and new tourism opportunities alongside the West Coast Wilderness Railway and river cruises.
If approved, construction would begin in summer 2026, with the walk expected to open in summer 2029.
The timeline includes reviews by the Public Works Committee, local council development assessments and federal environmental approvals.
Public consultation closes at 5pm on November 7.
The 2019 assessment report concluded that “no proposal in its own right offered a truly unique world-class experience”, but found the Tyndall Range to be the best option within the available budget and timeframe.
