Group determined to see Freycinet car park plans scrapped

The Freycinet Action Network is concerned that the Tasmanian government will “kill the goose that laid the golden egg” by building a 350-plus space “Bunnings-style” car park at Coles Bay and going through with its wider masterplan for the popular tourist area.

In 2019, the government released the Freycinet Peninsula Master Plan, which has been vehemently opposed by the Freycinet Action Network (FAN).

The group is holding an event at the Freycinet Lodge on January 25, where it will outline its vision for the area.

“We are very concerned about the direction the state government is taking the management of Freycinet in,” FAN member Sophie Underwood said.

“We’re offering a different perspective and vision that we think is better.”

Ms Underwood said the group was particularly concerned about plans to build a 350-plus-space car park near Coles Bay.

“Our preference would be that we better manage the flow of visitors we already have.

“But a compromised position is looking at a different location for a smaller car park and better managing the flow of tourist numbers through parking, rather than just creating more and more car parks to bring more and more people in.”

With pre-COVID visitor numbers around 300,000 annually, which Ms Underwood said resulted in a terrible visitor experience at Freycinet, FAN says the government want to see visitor numbers reach 640,000.

“You get a certain type of tourist who doesn’t care about crowds necessarily,” she said.

“But you do get more discerning tourists who would be disappointed as soon as they arrive at Freycinet and turn around at the car park.

“We don’t think that this approach is a strategic way to treat one of our most iconic national parks.

“The whole East Coast brand and regional economy is dependent on Freycinet, so we need to manage it carefully.”

Ms Underwood said her organisation also wanted to see the Coles Bay Conservation Area, which is where the car park is proposed to be located, upgraded to national park status.

“We want to put the car park in an area like just below the visitor centre, between two existing car parks, instead of opening up a whole new site for the car park.”

The cost of the car park and the overall Freycinet Peninsula Master Plan were also concerns, with $31.8 million committed to the project so far.

“We don’t think that the money that’s been budgeted is actually going to be enough to build everything they want to build anyway,” Ms Underwood said.

“Why not reuse what we have? Why not keep the visitor centre?

“We see this as being more fiscally responsible.”

Parks Minister Nick Duigan said the Freycinet Peninsula Master Plan was a pathway to delivering infrastructure to support sustainable tourism and optimise the visitor experience.

“It includes detailed visitor analysis and modelling,” Mr Duigan said.

“The master plan was developed following considerable consultation with the local community and other key stakeholders, including two rounds of public consultation.

“The project will be subject to rigorous assessment of potential environmental impacts through the Parks and Wildlife Service Reserve Activity Assessment process.”

The project includes the construction of a shared pathway from Coles Bay township to the Wine Glass Bay trailhead, as well as significant upgrades to the existing Freycinet National Park Wastewater Treatment Plant.

“The design for the Visitor Gateway site is proposed to be low impact and complement, not compete with, the existing natural beauty of the area,” Mr Duigan said.

“The preliminary site plan was informed by extensive investigations and design by specialist consultants through the initial project design stages, including Natural Values and Aboriginal Heritage Assessments.

“Feedback on the plan will be considered in the next design stages.

“Further consultation with the community will occur as the design process continues.”