Halls Saddle Mountain Gateway Precinct Proposal

Hobart needs a high quality and easily accessible 'front door' for people wishing to explore the mountain's forests, walking tracks and mountain bike trails.

The mountain is our most visited natural asset, attracting over 500 000 local, interstate and international visitors each year, and predicted to reach 700 000 by 2028. Pinnacle Road carries over 2000 vehicles per day peak-load with a weekday average of 960, and weekend/public holiday average of over 1500, involving light vehicles, mini-buses, Winnebago's and heavy coaches.

The mountain has 280 carparking spots and there are limited expansion opportunities within the Park.

Already at peak times visitor numbers exceed parking and road capacity.

In September 2019 the Council endorsed the investigation of an alternative 'Visitor Access' site at Halls Saddle, located outside of Wellington Park, to establish its potential role as the primary road-based gateway entrance facility for servicing visitor access to the mountain.

In June 2020, Council endorsed the Kunanyi/Mt Wellington Halls Saddle Visitor Hub Feasibility Study, to be used as a basis for further development of the proposal for Halls Saddle.

Where is Halls Saddle?

Halls Saddle is a Council-owned former quarry site situated just outside the Wellington Park boundary, within the Ridgeway Reserve. Accessed from the intersection of Chimney Pot Road and Huon Road, the site features cleared areas comprising three tiered levels of flat ground.

It affords exclusive views of the Mountain. Emerging out of the trees to the higher points of the site, revealing the true beauty and vastness of Kunanyi. These views are stunning in all weathers.

Halls Saddle has been identified as a place where additional parking could occur with the remaining journey travelled by bus.

What is the Halls Saddle Mountain Gateway Precinct Proposal?

In November 2024, the City has sought funding through Stream 1 of the Federal Government's Urban Precinct & Partnerships Program (uPPP) to develop a multi-purpose precinct integrating tourism, recreational opportunities, and a dedicated base for Indigenous Rangers and other first nations cultural initiative. The precinct will also serve a practical purpose, which is to provide space for a transport hub for mountain visitation, which is currently constrained.

The Halls Saddle Mountain Gateway Precinct will act as a gateway to the mountain for a range of unique experiences for a diverse range of people. This project will deliver a state-of-the-art Visitors Centre at Hall Saddle and a transport hub for visitors to the mountain, located just outside the Kunanyi/Mt Wellington Park entrance, upgrades road infrastructure, walking tracks and recreational infrastructure and amenities on the mountain to ensure a safe, accessible and enjoyable experience for all visitors.

The funding we are seeking under stream 1 of the program is to simply plan and design the Halls Saddle Mountain Gateway Precinct. Ultimately, we are hoping that our proposal will align with the eventual findings of the current strategic review of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington.

It is envisaged that should the Council's application be successful, the planning and design would be an 18-month process, to ensure all cohorts of the community are engaged and proper planning and associated design works are fulfilled.

What are the benefits of this proposal?

• Improving the overall visitor experience for all.
• Giving visitors the chance to fully explore the mountain and its foothills via dedicated visitor gateway.
• Improve access and safety concerns.
• Economic flow on effects for neighbouring municipalities.
• Significant health and developmental benefits of nature based recreation.
• Provide greater opportunities in the future for the local community and visitors to be enriched by nature.

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