- In short: Thrillseekers will be able to hurtle down kunanyi-Mt Wellington at speeds of up to 100 kilometre per hour if a developer gets approval for a new zip-line
- What’s next? The proponent will lodge a development application within months, but the project faces opposition from some residents and Aboriginal organisations
It’s famed for its spectacular views, stunning bushwalks and adrenaline-inducing bike rides.
But Hobart’s kunanyi/Mt Wellington could become the site of a new experience – one that’s already attracting fierce criticism.
A tourism entrepreneur wants to build what he says would be “the longest, fastest and highest zip-line in the Asia-Pacific”.
Reaching speeds of up to 100 kilometres an hour, thrill seekers would be able to hurtle above the treetops while taking in the stunning views.
“You’d be seeing all the way down to Bruny Island, Storm Bay, the city and the Pinnacle,” TAZZIP director Shane Abel said.
“So it will be quite a spectacular trip.”
The take-off point would be about halfway up the mountain near The Springs, where a proposed 25-metre-high tower would be built.
As participants were shot down the hillside, they would dangle up to 50 metres above the ground, before magnetic brakes brought their high-speed journey to an end.
From start to finish, it would take about 90 seconds to cover the 1,300-metre route to Strickland Falls.
“They’ll all be wearing helmets and they’ll all be wearing glasses because their eyes are going to water if they don’t,” Mr Abel said.
Project faces development hurdles
kunanyi/Mt Wellington is one of Tasmania’s top tourist attractions, drawing more than 500,000 visitors a year.
Mr Abel, who built a similar but smaller zip-line in New Zealand, estimated up to 30,000 people would use the proposed ride in Hobart each year.
“There’s nothing in the Asia-Pacific like this anywhere, so it’ll be very unique,” he said.
“From a tourism perspective, from an advertising perspective, it would certainly be a crowd drawer.”
Mr Abel said he hoped to lodge a development application by September.
But there is no guarantee the project will see the light of day.
To proceed, the zip-line not only needs the support of Hobart City Council, but the Wellington Park Management Trust as well.
Commercial ventures proposed for the mountain have not always been welcomed by the community.
A long-running bid to build a cable car to the summit sparked fierce debate, and ultimately proved unsuccessful after it was rejected by planning authorities last year.
Mr Abel said he was anticipating some opposition to the zip-line.
“If you think you’re going to take on a project in Tasmania and not have someone objecting, then I think you’re very naive,” he said.
Critics denounce zip-line concept
The Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania (ALCT) said it was strongly opposed to the project and had informed the proponent of its opinion.
“Aboriginal people will be disappointed and dismayed that a place as special as kunanyi is where someone would propose a tourism gimmick like a zip-line,” ALCT manager Rebecca Digney said.
“kunanyi is a living cultural landscape, not a theme park.”
The ALCT urged the Tasmanian government to update the Aboriginal Act, which the Aboriginal affairs minister has previously said “does not provide effective mechanisms for protection”.
Another person voicing concerns about the zip-line is South Hobart resident Nick Sawyer, who is also the president of the Tasmanian National Parks Association.
“I’m appalled, basically,” Mr Sawyer said.
“A zip-line is not about appreciating the natural values of the area; it’s about getting an adrenaline rush.
“It will inevitably impact on the experience of other people using this area, having a contraption like this [and] having people on the zip-line whizzing over people on some of the walking tracks.”
Mr Sawyer also questioned the environmental and aesthetic impacts of the proposed zip-line, as well as the potential for increased traffic near Strickland Falls, which is close to residential properties.
Mr Abel said the zip-line would have less impact than the many mountain bikes trails on the mountain.
He insisted the proposed tower near The Springs, which would be open to the public as a viewing platform, would be out of sight from most vantage points.
He also said his plan for participants to park at Strickland Falls and then take a minibus to The Springs would reduce overall traffic on the mountain.
If the zip-line gets all the approvals it needs, Mr Abel says he hopes it will be operating by late next year.
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