Comments on: Cable Car

By: Rob Pollock

Rob Pollock — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:26:49 +0000

Have the thoughts and concerns of the residents in the area surrounding the mountains been sought and fully considered before launching the current survey on possible activities (allegedly with the expenditure of $20,000 – but, at whose cost? Presumably there would have been cash contributions by the proponents)?

The project might well advantage proponents who themselves live snugly clear of any negative effects of the proposed developments: but, what effects would such activities as the cable car and helicopter flights be likely to have on the daily lives and property values of affected residents?

By: Murray

Murray — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:56:41 +0000

This type of thing time and time again has turned out to be unviable, one example is Queenslands Gold Coast at the Springbrook Plateau which through years of protests failed. There is much value in the preservation of the landscape in its natural form, which after all this is what people come here to see. Rather than these short sighted tactics of trying to capture cashed up tourists in the few months that a cable car might be able to run safely, why not upgrade the current track opening up the opportunity to more walkers.
Then there is the question of cost, both the construction costs which have to be recouped, ongoing maintenance of the complex infrastructure all of which will have to translate into an appropriate cost per head, and still a huge cost to council. So this begs the question will it truly be affordable?. Yes I would have to agree the panorama at the summit is amazing on a good day, but there are numerous more that there is nothing but cloud, and who would want to pay for that?. Here is a hypothetical, what happens if the council can not afford to operate it soon after opening a bailout? privatisation?. Parks & Wildlife with their extremely limited budget will never be able to take over operation nor should they as I see it as a clear conflict of interest. I am of the understanding that this is not a national park well maybe it should be!

Australians Against Roland Cable Car
A.A.R.C.C

By: Bob Ashby

Bob Ashby — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:00:12 +0000

As a newish Kentish family, my wife and I were horrified when we first heard the Cable Car scheme. We have previously lived on the Gold Coast and in Alpine Shire, Victoria, both of which were plagued by cable car schemes, we are well-familiar with all the ups and downs of these proposals. They fail on environmental grounds, if nothing else. The scheme on the Gold Coast even proposed dropping towers in via helicopters, so new roads did not have to be cut. Still, it was knocked back on environmental grounds.

There are multiple reasons why a cable cart is a bad decision for Mt Roland. First, it cannot be built without destroying the scenic and environmental significance of the mountain. Second, it will only be usable over limited periods of time due to high winds and poor weather that often effects the plateau. Even if the chairlift was able to be operated 12 months out of a year, how attractive will it be to tourists who aren’t as used to our weather. Third, not enough has been done to develop Mt Roland as an eco-tourism destination, such as putting in properly maintained trails, and the rest of the Shire is not being adequately marketed, with major attractions such as Lake Barrington and cottage industries such as Tazmania, vineyards and other farm gate sales being adequately promoted. Focus on them, and support what you have.

Also, Sheffield itself has a very poor street scape, despite the large amount of money spent on this. A cohesive tree planting program, garden grants, garden and streetscape competitons, and so on would do more to enhance the Sheffield experience than a cable car.

Council should be spending its money fixing the neglected flood mitigation works, and not wasting it on cable car schemes.

I have a Masters Degree in Environmental Management and a Doctorate of Law, and I will fight a cable car with every ounce of experience and energy I have. Many others will join me.

By: james kigathi

james kigathi — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 08:07:07 +0000

thanks so much for your contribution.james

By: tim

tim — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 11:00:02 +0000

I am interested in knowing more about the proposal. At this point there are no absolute details to consider.

We have been approached by no developer at this time.

By: John Hawkins

John Hawkins — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:18:16 +0000

I think this is the most visionary idea for the future of Kentish since MuralFest.

We need to encourage new visitors, and make those who now come stay longer: more demand for food, accommodation, etc. A destination for cruise ship buses.

Marble shops, emporiums, etc, can be duplicated elsewhere; their owners may even move on. Mount Roland is there for all time, and is pretty unique. Most visitors would love to see the view from the top if they had the time and fitness.

A cable car would hardly be seen from the town, and would still leave 99% of the mountain to the energetic few.

How can council throw their weight behind this, without committing large sums of ratepayers’ money?