New $700,000 lookout at Wineglass Bay at Freycinet National Park officially opens

That visitor experience is now enhanced by the building of a new $700,000 lookout, opening up the view of the breathtaking Wineglass Bay.

Building a lookout at the top of a 40 minute walk was a logistical challenge, but one that was worth the work according to project manager Nathan Johnson from CPT Engineering.

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"There was a lot of challenges along the way, a lot of planning," he said.

"Over a three month period we did the footings and moved through to the final product.

"There was a walk up every day and back out every afternoon... we tried to plan everything to be choppered up but there were a few days there where we had to pack some stuff in."

The lookout was carefully designed to fit in with the natural surrounding and existing lookout further up the hill.

"It was an important part, making it look like it wasn't inflicting on the area too much," Mr Johnson said.

Parks and Wildlife deputy secretary Jason Jacobi said he was delighted with the final product.

"Our natural areas in Tasmania deserve the very best, and this has just been an extraordinary collaboration between the Commonwealth, the state, our contractor CPT Engineering, the helicopter companies, the stonemason and our staff," he said.

"You can tell just by the way people are using this lookout and these decks that it's been a tremendous success.

"People are using it exactly the way we wanted them to, and it's dealt with the growing numbers of visitors that have been coming to this location by spreading them out across the hillside, and giving them new and extraordinary views."

The development is part of the greater Freycinet Master Plan process, looking at the long-term future of the area.

"I think projects like this really demonstrate how much we care to develop the most sensitive and appropriate infrastructure for sights like this," Mr Jacobi said.

"There are no places more important in Tasmania than our national parks from a natural perspective, and so we do things the very best that we possibly can."

With a reduction in visitation from interstate and international tourists due to border restrictions, Mr Jacobi said the great thing has been that more locals have been able to experience the area.

"Freycinet National Park has seen almost the same levels of visitation that it saw pre-COVID, which is an extraordinary response," he said.

Assistant Minister for Industry Development, Senator Jonathon Duniam, said the Commonwealth government's investment was part of their commitment to the region.

"Here on the East Coast, six out of 10 jobs are dependent on the tourism industry, so by growing the offering and ensuring that we can promote and protect what is special about the East Coast... we are supporting the community," he said.

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