EDITORIAL || Mount Wellington project shows planning power changes are needed

On his Facebook page on Wednesday, Felix Ellis posted that "the situation on Mt Wellington is madness".

He went on to further say that "you can't tell me diesel buses and petrol cars are better environmentally than a cable car".

Mr Ellis was responding to the Mount Wellington Cableway Company's decision to not lodge an appeal to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal after its proposal had been knocked back.

This is a project that has fallen foul of a Hobart City Council that has a reputation for being very much anti-development, one which has seen aldermen elected on that very stance against the cable car.

This has been seen in the past with plans much-needed hotels and housing not moving forward. It is a council that is seemingly made up of people who just want to maintain the Hobart they know and therefore can be described as anti-progress.

This is where we need to see more than just talk from the state government.

There is a real dichotomy in having elected councillors sit as a planning authority on such topical projects. This cable car project is an example that provides a good argument for the government to be very much reformist when it comes to councils.

The fact Tasmania has so many councils, with 29, makes the state a laughing stock in some circles. On top of that, the planning power they do have is not a good look.

Allowing just one council have a say on a project like this is far too restrictive. Not only should areas like Glenorchy and Clarence also be involved, this is a project of state significance that had the potential to deliver significant tourism dollars to Tasmania.

It just isn't right that the Hobart City Council had the final say on something so important.

The challenge should now be on the government to ensure that situations like this aren't repeated.

It's all good for Mr Ellis to talk the talk as he has, now it is the time to see some action.

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