The latest attempt to have a cable car built up to the summit of kunanyi/Mount Wellington is over after the company decided not to appeal against its defeat in Tasmania's planning tribunal.
The appeal period lapsed on Monday, and a spokesperson for Mount Wellington Cableway Company (MWCC) confirmed no appeal had been lodged.
It means the current plans – which included three towers, two cable cars, and a new pinnacle centre – will no longer proceed.
It brings an end to almost a decade of planning, lobbying and debate for the proposal, which was the eighth in a century but the first to be formally lodged and tested on planning grounds.
Residents Opposed to the Cable Car spokesperson Vica Bayley said opponents within the council and parts of the community had been vindicated, and the proposal should be abandoned in all forms.
"It really has no credibility left and it should vacate the space and leave the mountain alone so that people can get together and talk about a credible, viable and sustainable solution for some of the challenges of visitation on the mountain," he said.
"We do need to address the mountain being loved to death. We do need to make sure that there is investment in infrastructure and other development that protects values and maintains the visitor experience.
"But it's very clear that that is not a cable car."
The Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) last month rejected MWCC's appeal against its rejection by Hobart City Council.
TASCAT found the cable car failed to meet standards over noise, visual impact and effects on geoheritage and biodiversity.
Down, but not necessarily out
The current development application might be over, but there are still options for a future cable car.
MWCC can wait two years to submit the proposal to Hobart City Council again and attempt to address the grounds for its defeat in TASCAT.
It could also seek special permission from TASCAT to apply again, make substantial changes to the proposal and test it with council, or apply with another council like Glenorchy with a different proposal.
The Tasmanian government could also use its major projects legislation to have the proposal approved, but it has previously confirmed it would not apply the laws to the cable car.
It said it still supported a cable car solution.
On Tuesday, MWCC said it would not be making a public comment and is believed to be considering its options.
In 2020, the Hobart City Council proposed building a parking hub for mountain visitors at Halls Saddle but that project is no longer being considered.
In 2020, the Hobart City Council proposed building a parking hub for mountain visitors at Halls Saddle.
The council is still investigating the proposal but it has not gone before council yet.
Advocates for turning it into a national park argue the current management structure does not have the resources or power needed to solve the challenges posed by increasing visitor numbers.
"It should be a national park and the community have long called for the government to recognise the spiritual and wild values of kunanyi," said Greens spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff.
Nala Mansell from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre said any future plans should include her community.
"We'd like to see kunanyi returned to Aboriginal ownership, but at least it's important that Aboriginal people are given a say in its protection," she said.
