Hobart City Council has voted to keep a controversial public walkway proposal for Battery Point alive, opting to investigate the costs of a new design rather than abandoning the project as recommended by its CEO. The decision, made at a council meeting on Monday, August 31, ensures the decades-long aspiration for a continuous waterfront path will continue to be explored.
The proposal, which aims to create a shared pathway for pedestrians and cyclists linking AJ White Park at Battery Point to Marieville Esplanade in Sandy Bay, has been a subject of debate since the 1990s. Previous attempts to establish the walkway faced significant hurdles, including a 2014 approval by the Hobart City Council that was later overturned by Tasmania’s planning tribunal in 2015 following local objections.
Hobart City Council CEO Michael Stretton had recommended shelving the project, citing a report from consultants GHD which found the community concept “not feasible in its current form”. Key concerns raised in the CEO’s report included the route’s reliance on Crown licences for private jetties, slipways, and boatsheds along Clarke Avenue and Napoleon Street, which the council lacks the power to alter or cancel. Parks and Heritage Minister Nick Duigan had indicated that while a shared walkway could be a public purpose, altering or terminating existing licences would require case-by-case assessment and was not currently possible. Strong opposition from adjoining property owners also contributed to the CEO’s recommendation, with no realistic prospect of voluntary agreements.
Despite these significant challenges and the CEO’s advice, elected members voted against discontinuing the project. Instead, the council has called for a report detailing the cost of delivering a new design for the walkway.
Public sentiment largely supports the walkway, with a recent council survey of 400 Hobart residents revealing 89 per cent backing for the project, and only 4 per cent opposed. Proponents, including Battery Point residents economist David Hook and engineer Jim Gandy, have been instrumental in developing new designs for the 1.1-kilometre, 3.5-metre-wide pathway.
Councillor Mike Dutta has been a vocal advocate, highlighting the walkway’s potential to improve connectivity between Sandy Bay and the city, particularly in light of the University of Tasmania’s proposed move into the CBD. A petition sponsored by Helen Burnet MP, calling on the Tasmanian Government to alter jetty and boat shed licences to facilitate the path, was also mentioned during the council debate by Councillor Ryan Posselt.
While the community group initially estimated construction costs between $5 million and $10 million, GHD’s updated estimate for the current concept stood at $23.8 million, excluding land acquisition, legal fees, and ongoing maintenance. Engineers also raised safety and design concerns, including proposed lifting bridges that could be operated by residents, potentially allowing them to close the path to the public.
The decision means the Battery Point walkway, a vision for public access to Hobart’s stunning foreshore, will continue its complex journey through planning and design.
For more details, readers are encouraged to refer to the original reporting by ABC News (Tasmania).