Bushwalk Australia

I just received a questionnaire from Kentish Council regarding development on Mt Roland. There were some really horrifying options- road to summit, restaurant on top, cable car, but also some very interesting ones, including these three, tacked on the bottom...

Hikes
Mt Roland to Cradle Mtn via Lake Cethana and Dove River
Mt Roland to Walls of Jerusalem via Olivers Plains and Lake MacKenzie
Eastern (Gog Range) side to Minnow Falls and mountain top.

What does everyone think of these as hike options/ development options.

I scanned the document as PDF - Can't upload here.
Maybe a way to do that somehow? PM me if you wnat a copy emailed.
Maybe Admin could have it added here somewhere?

It defenitely invites attention from any who want to have input.
There are as Drifting said, several options affecting bushwalks(ers) and its worth the time and effort to read and have input.

Knowing how these things work it would be good to have some constructive (as in useful) comments and suggestions. Not just a negative feedback.

Obviously any development will have environmental and social and economic impacts so they need attending to.

Interestingly since I became aware of this its surprising just how much of the time Roland has its hat on, as it does now as I type.

Not only the hat, but the rain, wind, frost and snow. It's not really prime for a cable car.

BUT- as an alternative leg of the Overland Track- THAT would be something worth considering. Not that I want it developed at all, but if it has to be done, that would be palatable.

Public consultation is a great opportunity for us walkers to get in some really great suggestions. This Idea of Linking the area into the Overland and the walls is terrific. What a way to get some more tourism into the area but another long haul track that starts in the north. This might even allow for the declaration of a national park over the immediate area around Roland and the interconnecting land as well. I for one would like to read this document and submit some constructive feedback.

Genesis

If people PM me their email addresses I'll send you what I have- but it's not much.

I think contacting Kentish Shire might be a good idea. I'll dig up the name of the person to talk to.

A forums mebmer has asked me to post this PDF including the Kentish council's survey, and some information about it. It includes mention of a cable car and restaurant on top of Mt Roland. Not a recommendation for it, but just as items in the survey asking for opinions about it.



(I've now fixed the problem with attaching PDF files).

Drifting wrote:I just received a questionnaire from Kentish Council regarding development on Mt Roland. There were some really horrifying options- road to summit, restaurant on top, cable car, but also some very interesting ones, including these three, tacked on the bottom...

Oh dear, I think I'm going to be sick

In all seriousness though; I will definitely have a read of the document (thanks for sharing/posting) and would love the opportunity to provide feedback.

Kind regards

Mt Roland Admirer

lets hope that if new trails are made they MAINTAIN them too (poor "track record" there) interesting idea to link to OLT though.... i would comment on the road/restaurant/cable car but this is a family (polite n friendly) forum...

Can non residents respond? I did "live" in Sheffield for 3 or 4 days on one trip and always call in there for lunch or coffee if passing through.

The mind boggles . I think that a lot of these things are really dreadful ideas and some could be potential environmental disasters. I know the area has been through economic downturn before and found that tourism was the answer, visibly via the street murals concept. Maybe there are better solutions this time as well, rather than destroying Mt Roland? I think the extended walking track ideas may be worthy of investigation if properly managed and sympathetic to environmental concerns. Maybe some of the lower impact ideas that don't put infrastructure on the mountain, such as wildlife experiences at the foot of it could work. But in general I'd really like to see it declared as a NP and preserved against development.

John and others
Anyone that has an interest SHOULD respond and in fact if you read the blurb its all about 'Tourism' so if you are a 'Tourist' then that fits the bill.
And its not just for 'Northerners' - c'mon you 'southerners' we could all come down and build a road into and a cable car up Mt Ann or Federation or Frenchmans - wow that would be an excitment.

Just been watching a flurry of snow whirl about the place- here at home. Beaut stuff - maybe we will get more white winter crispy stuff this year.

In my opinion extending any tracks to the Overland is good in theory but as they are in disrepair in places on the OLT where would the money come from for new ones, as for the other suggestions I cannot see them eventuating for the same reason however we must be vigilant and not let it happen .
corvus

I just sent an email to a number of friends and associates from this end of the state, including the PDF file as an attachment, and inviting them all to forward it to people they think might be interested.
And I've printed it out......

taswegian wrote:John and others
Anyone that has an interest SHOULD respond and in fact if you read the blurb its all about 'Tourism' so if you are a 'Tourist' then that fits the bill.
And its not just for 'Northerners' - c'mon you 'southerners' we could all come down and build a road into and a cable car up Mt Ann or Federation or Frenchmans - wow that would be an excitment.

Just been watching a flurry of snow whirl about the place- here at home. Beaut stuff - maybe we will get more white winter crispy stuff this year.

the idea of a cable car has been floating around out backyard for many many years tasweigan. Dont think you guys are the only ones copping it!!

ILUV I was just trying to expand the database a bit.
Yes I know you fella's down south have your own comings and goings.

Hopefully some of you will have input into this questionnaire as it obviously touches on things beyond our immediate horizon. Which to the south with that great mountain looming isn't very far.

Well if you want my opinion i'd be very surprised if it went ahead. Like the debate on Wellington they will soon realise there are many more people opposed to the idea than for it. Also someone will point out that the conditions on our mountains rarely are suitable for cable car travel, so the $$$ wont add up.

As far as the tracks going from there to the OT, again i'd be surprised if it went ahead. Alot of ideas like this come out but they rarely go any further. Take the idea of the track from Lake Margaret to the OT going over the Eldons that came out recently. Has that gone any further..? No....

Besides as Liam said, more tracks means more maintenance. PWS (whom I assume would be responsible for the upkeeping) are already grossly underfunded in this area and cannot maintain the tracks we already have.

I think you all are right, that it is unlikely to go ahead, but then there's a little bit of me that could just see it happening. It would be extremely short-sited and a really poor investment, but then it's not the most sophisticated suggestion, and I could see the idea getting pushed through council by those who came up with it, and only lip service being paid to the rest of Kentish residents' opinions.

But getting approval and getting finance would be two different things. I couldn't imagine even the most generous, risk-loving bank agreeing to fork over the money for a cable car that would pass even Tassie's minimal environmental standards, especially not in our current economic status.

A great example of council wasting our $$$, and I'll be remembering it when it comes time to vote!

for me its about looking beyond the 'cable car' bit.
As a resident and local,I and others have an opportunity to hopefully shape some thoughts and not so much peddle a 'No Cable Car' bike but constructively put forward some ideas that promotes the place.
At the same time it provides an assurance of better understanding and effective management of our somewhat fickle environment.

Mt Roland is iconic and no doubts exist but coming from a bushwalking perspective I (and many of you can relate) that its often extremely hard to get the message across of what this or that area means to me (you) and if something is done that alters that, then it is no longer the experience we and many others down through time and way off into the future enjoy(s).

Tourism is fine but 'tourists' have little if any social responsibility to the place they visit. They can come and go freely and leave no trace ( a quick look at my gate would dispel that !!) and yet also make no bed on which they would like to lay down on and share in community life.
If tourism doesn't benefit the locals in all areas of Social, economic and environmental then its not doing its bit.
This applies up in mountains just as it does down in the towns etc. Just read the posts on this forum of our forays into the wilderness and the encounters along the way with fellow walkers.

As Liam said - there are things that perhaps can't get said on a family friendly forum, but they get said never the less.
Those same experiences can be (should be) an catalyst to help educate and enhance.

I think any development on Roland, ANY development, will detract from the place. It has an intrinsic value as a piece of wilderness right in the middle of an area. But there's a few activities that would be ok, and around the base, within limits, is a good place to develop tourism projects.

I wonder if DFT had made it up there yet.

We need to find a Lake Pedder Galaxis up there.

Drifting wrote:
We need to find a Lake Pedder Galaxis up there.

Actually Drifting, thats not a bad line of thought. Mt Roland is home to some very special bird life...............

Man, some ground parrots or a orange bellied or two would do the trick.

Yeh your not wrong!!
I recall White Goshawks are locals up there, along with Masked Owls. Neither are endangered, but I think they are both on the Threatened listings? along with Swift parrots... Might be enough to have some people thinking.......

taswegian wrote:John and others
Anyone that has an interest SHOULD respond and in fact if you read the blurb its all about 'Tourism' so if you are a 'Tourist' then that fits the bill...

Done! Posted it off last night.