BL & EM Pty LtdEconomic impact assessment – Cataract Gorge Gondola4th July 2018

Project background

Having grown up in and around the Launceston Cataract Gorge his whole life, Barry Larter had a dream to experience more of what the Gorge has to offer. As low-level pedestrian access was limited within the Gorge, the Larter family created a unique solution in 1972: the Gorge Scenic Chairlift. Over the past 50 years, it has become one of Tasmania’s premier tourist attractions.

Today, the chairlift continues to offer locals and tourists a rare perspective of some of Launceston’s most stunning scenery. Nonetheless, the Gorge’s growth has created the need for another solution. In response to this, the same family have been working together to create a new vision for the 21st century: the Launceston Skyway. This contemporary concept will be inclusive of everyone, regardless of age, fitness or mobility, can be enjoyed in all seasons, and is so unique it will be just the third of its kind in the world.

Fittingly, the Skyway has many of the same goals as the chairlift, but it will be better suited to the modern-day tourist. It will improve accessibility within the Gorge for young families and people who are older or with disabilities and will be an immersive and memorable experience for all.

Passengers will be able to travel over areas of the Gorge and Trevallyn Reserve that are not easily accessible or completely isolated – and all from an entirely new perspective. The increased accessibility year-round will open up the area to new markets, creating countless opportunities, not just for the Gorge, but for all of Launceston and its surrounds.

Today

• Introduction

• Aboriginal Heritage

• Historic Heritage

• Natural Values

• Traffic and Parking

• Planning matters

• Strategic matters

Aboriginal Heritage

• A desk top study and consultation with Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania (AHT) indicated there are no Aboriginal heritage sites recorded within or close to the proposed works areas.

• Despite that clearance an expert report was commissioned to confirm this position.

• Cultural Heritage Management Australia (CHMA) were commissioned to investigate Indigenous Heritage further given the strong community interest likely to be generated by this topic.

• No Aboriginal heritage sites, suspected features, or specific areas of elevated archaeological sensitivity were identified during the field survey assessment of the proposed Cataract Gorge infrastructure areas and surrounds. A search of the Aboriginal Heritage Register (AHR) shows that there are no registered Aboriginal sites within or in the immediate vicinity of the proposed skyway infrastructure areas.

• On the basis of the negative survey results, and the absence of registered sites in the proposed Gondola station and pylons infrastructure areas, it is advised that construction in these footprint areas will have no impacts on any identified Aboriginal heritage sites. It is therefore advised that there are no Aboriginal heritage constraints to the construction work proceeding in these designated footprint areas

• The study found - No sites were found within the study area and therefore no sites will be impacted by the proposed activities

• This report was signed off by AHT and the Aboriginal Community reps.

Historic Heritage

• The site has demonstrated heritage values and importance to the community.

• Cultural Heritage Management Australia (CHMA) were commissioned to carry out a Historic Heritage Assessment Report of the project/site. This process included extended consultation with the Tasmanian Heritage Register (THR) to define the interests of that and other regulators.

• Surface visibility across the surveyed Gondola and two pylon footprints was restricted to an estimated average of between 20% - 30%, which is in the low range. Given these constraints, it can’t be stated with absolutely certainty that there are no undetected historic features present within these proposed infrastructure areas.

• The field survey was able to confirm that the proposed locations for the two deflection pylons and the drive station will not physically impact on any of the significant heritage buildings and features that are noted on the Register of the National Estate (RNE) and the Tasmanian Heritage Register (THR) listings for the Gorge.

• As detailed in section 4 of the report, to a large extent the significance values of the Cataract Gorge Reserve relate to its associations with recreation. The argument can be made that the construction of the Skyway facility ushers in a new period in the development of the recreational attractions and facilities in the Cataract Gorge Reserve, which is in keeping with the existing land use activities at First Basin.

• The report noted - The Proponent will need to directly engage with the Launceston City Council in order to ensure that the development proposal meets the relevant development standards, that the project meets specified heritage requirements, and that the required Permits have been obtained.

Natural Values

No plant species listed as threatened on the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 were detected from within or close to the tower sites. A desk top study also found little in the way of threatened flora within the areas likely to be disturbed by the proposal. However One plant species, on the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 –Veronica plebeia (trailing speedwell) was found in close proximity to one of the pylons. A permit will be required under Section 51 of the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 (TSPA) to “take” Veronica plebeia if the site cannot be avoided.

The vegetation type recorded from the proposal sites is not listed as a threatened vegetation type on Schedule 3A of the Tasmanian Nature Conservation Act 2002, and does not equate to a threatened ecological community listed on schedules of the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The native vegetation type present at both deflection tower sites is widespread and well-reserved and further clearance and disturbance within the area will not have a significant impact on the conservation status of this community at a regional or Statewidelevel.

Flora

No fauna species listed as threatened on the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 and/or the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 were detected from within or close to the deflection tower sites.

Potential habitat (to some degree) is present for several species, as follows:

• marsupial carnivores• Three species (Sarcophilus harrisii, Tasmanian devil;

Dasyurus maculatus subsp. maculatus, spotted-tailed quoll; and Dasyurus viverrinus, eastern quoll) are considered collectively because they have broadly similar habitat and management requirements.

• The proposal will not affect den sites of these species due to the small footprint of the towers and no den sites were noted at either of the tower sites. The steep slopes below the tower sites contains suitable habitat for dens, however, but these areas will not be affected by the proposal.

• Pasmaditta jungermanniae (Cataract Gorge snail) • Potential habitat for the Cataract Gorge snail is intact

or disturbed native vegetation with extensive exposed rock faces,with well-developed moss and/or lichen cover on rock faces and ledges (FPA 2018).

• These habitat elements are present below the tower sites on the steep slopes and whilst these potential habitat elements will not be directly affected by the construction of the towers at each site, there is the potential for sediment during the construction phase to affect the downslope habitat of this species.

• However, this can easily be mitigated against by the use of sediment fences and/or hay bails to contain any sediment at each of the sites. It should be noted though that the proposed tower locations occur on relatively gentle slopes, with small construction footprints that minimises the risk of sediment release to any species’ habitat downslope.

Fauna

Traffic and Parking

• The current car park for the Gorge is outside the control and licence area of the chairlift – the same will be true of the new facility.

• One of the strategies attributed to the new facility will be attracting a higher capture rate rather than all new visitors. Of the new visitors, small tour groups will make up a high proportion of the new visitors to the facility. Both these strategies will reduce the impact on car parking need as they arrive by bus.

• The parking study carried out by Pitt & Sherry noted that there was a very short period of the year (late Dec to mid Jan) where the parking demand exceeded supply. This happens now. One of the recommendations of the car parking study is better enforcement of parking restrictions.

• The operators report that despite the long warm summer, because of better enforcement of parking restrictions and the tiger bus, there were approximately 5 days where demand exceeded supply.

• Over this year’s summer period the Council trialled the Tiger bus visiting the Gorge. Feedback from users said this was a great initiative and was a viable alternative to driving to the Gorge – the bus allowed users to consider walking back to town and thus getting a better experience than if they had driven.

• The proposed gondola ropeway at the Cataract Gorge has been assessed in accordance with the Department of State Growth’s Framework for Undertaking Traffic Impact Assessments. The analysis and discussions presented in this report can be summarised as follows: • The additional traffic generated by the development is

not expected to have any significant impacts on the safety and operation on the surrounding road network immediately post development and 10 years post development

Planning matters

Planning• The site falls under the Launceston Interim Planning

Scheme 2015

• The development (tourist operation use) is a discretionary use within the zonings covering the Gorge.

• There is a Gorge Overlay covering the site.

• The proposal will rely on discretions in to comply with the planning scheme.

• The proposal has been represented in terms of a visual presentation to show how little visual impact the pylons will have when viewed from public places within the Gorge.

Noise• Given the distance to the nearest dwelling the EIA

concluded that noise from the operating machinery was unlikely to be an issue.

Landslip• Within the proximity of the pylons there is mapped

areas of low and medium risk landslip areas. As the proposal has been more developed expert studies will confirm the landslip risk around the pylon sites.

Relevant reserve Management Plans• There are no reserve management plans covering this

area.

Bushfire and evacuation plan• The current chairlift operates under a bushfire

management plan (linked to the overall Emergency Management Plan) which in turn is linked to the Council’s bushfire control policy covering the Gorge.

• Should there be a bushfire within the Gorge and the safety of the Gondola is threatened the operation is halted, patrons evacuated and the Gondola will not reopen until the bushfire threat has passed and the facility has undergone a safety check, as per current protocols.

Strategic matters

The Greater Launceston Plan - B5 –Cataract Gorge – Trevallyn Management Plan - Proposed comprehensive community and stakeholder review of facilities and usage patterns of Cataract Gorge. The project is directed to identify long term requirements that best meet the needs of the community and visitors and provide guidance for the sustainable management of the Gorge for future generations.

Previous Council Decision – it is reported that - The City of Launceston at its Council Meeting on the 26th October 2015 resolved that: "Any commercial development within or adjacent to the City of Launceston Cataract Gorge (but utilising the Gorge’s vista) are supported provided they are sympathetic to the vision and values of the Cataract Gorge.”

2016 – 2017 Annual Plan -To continue to offer an attractive network of parks, open spaces and facilities throughout Launceston

The following strategic matters were considered:

Reimagining the Gorge – the following strategies relate to this document and commercial developments in the Gorge - 5.1 Legal planning processes assess any development proposed for the Area. 5.2 Proposed developments reflect the vision and values for the Area.

2014 – 2024 Strategic Plan – 2 -To provide an environment that is conducive to business and development. 3 - To promote tourism and a quality Launceston tourism offering. 6 - To facilitate direct investment in the local economy to support its growth.