The future of a road that links the Tasman Peninsula and the East Coast is uncertain now timber company Gunns has divested itself of responsibility for the former logging road. Source: The Mercury
Management of Wielangta Rd has reverted to Forestry Tasmania, after Gunns Limited’s withdrawal from native forests.
The road is now impassable at Griffiths Creek, about 10km south of Orford following the washing away of a river crossing in torrential rain. At Griffiths Creek there is a 5m deep chasm where a culvert used to be.
Forestry Tasmania has no purpose for the road and no money to fix it.
The long-term future of Wielangta Rd is of great concern to the Glamorgan Spring-Bay Council.
Acting Mayor Jenifer Crawford said there were a number of reasons why the road was important to the East Coast. She said it was a link not only between the Tasman Peninsula and the East Coast, but the World Heritage sites of Port Arthur and Maria Island.
“Another thing that concerns us is if it should close, or if it’s not repaired, it’s the only alternative route to the east coast at the moment. So if the Tasman Highway was [cut off] there would be no alternative route to the east coast and that would cause problems even if the road was out for a day or two,” Cr Crawford said.
Forestry Tasmania Derwent District manager David Brown said it did not plan to do any maintenance on the road.
“Given the fact that it is of no benefit to Forestry Tasmania at the moment because the woodchip mill at Triabunna is closed and the proposal under the IGA [Intergovernmental Agreement] is for significant areas of the Wielangta and
Peninsula forests to go into reserves, we don’t have a requirement to use the road,” he said.
“The maintenance of any road that Forestry Tasmania undertakes is paid for by selling timber and at the moment we’re not selling a lot of timber.”
