Rock Magazine

JOHN CHAPMAN REPORTS: With the Federal Government promising $12.5 million in funding for the Three Capes Walk, it now looks likely this track will proceed. The 68-kilometre track will link the three main capes in Tasmania’s Tasman Peninsula National Park and will be, essentially, a commercially operated hut-based walk aimed at five-star walkers.

So far the project has had its problems. Costs seem to be continually escalating, with the latest estimate being $8 million to build huts and construct and upgrade tracks, plus another $33 million for the ‘project’ (whatever that is). To justify the escalating costs, the claimed benefits for Tasmania have risen from $19.7 million (estimated in 2008) to $190 million per year (estimated in 2011). The fine print in the consultants’ report reveals that the latter is an optimistic figure and the benefits are likely to be much less.

Other details also seem exaggerated. The plan budgets for 10 000 walkers per year, each paying $200 to walk the track – this seems unrealistic when the Overland Track only attracts around 8000 paying walkers each year. How is it estimated that a new track will attract more walkers than a decades-old world-famous track? The costing methods for the benefits of the Three Capes Walk seem to be flawed.

For tent-based walkers who have visited the capes for decades the position looks poor. While public statements promise that tent-based camping will continue to be catered for, the only reference I can find is for tent platforms to be built near Cape Pillar, probably near Lunchtime Creek. Documents state that restrictions and fees for camping will apply, which will be a severe restriction for current walkers. Options for camping elsewhere seem to be ignored and it looks like all other campsites might be banned as the plan is for all walkers to stay in the commercially constructed huts.

A glaring omission in all the public documents is that it is not acknowledged that the existing tracks were originally built by volunteers from the walking and climbing community. Those same volunteers agitated for the area to become a national park and it now looks like the most spectacular part of the park will be essentially handed over to commercial interests. Overall this could be a terrible outcome: a track system is constructed by local volunteers who advertise the great scenery and get the area reserved as national park, then these same volunteers may end up being effectively excluded. Several groups including the Tasmanian National Parks Association are encouraging the project to be scaled back to be less expensive and less restrictive for walkers, but so far they have been ignored.

To find out more about the project enter ‘Three Capes Walk Tasmania’ into your favourite search engine to keep up to date with media releases about the track.