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The Springs Site Development Plan (1998, amended 2002) (the SDP) was prepared in accordance with the policies and objectives of the then Wellington Park Management Plan 1997. The Management Plan set out the management objectives for visitor services and facilities within the Springs Zone, and also the level to which such facilities may be developed.
The underlying philosophy of the SDP is to provide for appropriate development and uses whilst reflecting and maintaining the values of Wellington Park. There is an emphasis on:
- maintaining the natural, aesthetic and cultural values of the Springs and the Park;
- providing a location for facilities and amenities for visitors to, and managers of, Wellington Park;
- providing a location for appreciating and enhancing the values of Wellington Park, including: natural experiences, views and vistas, and cultural and heritage aspects of the Park; and
- development of the Springs as a visitor destination in its own right.
SPRINGS ZONE MASTERPLAN
The Trust has endorsed a Masterplan for the Springs Zone.
The Masterplan identifies the key values of the Springs and essential principles for developing the Springs area, and outlines the approach to development, including siting of structures, roads and car parks, paths, landscaping etc. The Masterplan has been prepared following previous detailed conservation and heritage planning undertaken by the Trust and the Hobart City Council.
The key recommendations of the Masterplan include:
- Retention of the low key public open space at the upper Springs or Old Hotel site.
- New interpretation signs and track entry facilities at the upper Springs.
- Improved parking arrangements at the middle and lower Springs sites to provide for visitors to the day-use centre and the broader area.
- Improved picnicking facilities at the lower Springs area, including a new public toilet and improved walking tracks.
- Upgrading of the existing lookout accessed via the former Exhibition Gardens, and reinstatement of a former walking track through the Gardens.
A key aspect of the plan is the recognition of the existing permit to build a day-use centre at the Springs. The centre, approved by the Resource Planning and Development Commission in 2004, incorporates a visitor centre, shop, restaurant, parking areas and public toilets. The permit is held by Sultan Holdings, who are intending to commence construction by November 2008. The new plan however recommends that the building be relocated to the southern side of the middle Springs, and that the main parking area be in the lower Springs.
Copies of the Masterplan (without the maps) are available here. You can obtain the maps for the Masterplan by selecting the required map from the Document Links on this page.
The Springs site development
Since December 1999 the Trust, in conjunction with the Hobart City Council, has co-ordinated an Expressions of Interest process to develop the Springs site, in accordance with the principles and requirements of the SDP and the Management Plan. Following an extensive preliminary assessment process, Vos Group were chosen as the preferred developer and submitted a proposal for a hotel, restaurant and visitor centre on the site. The proposal was released for a period of public review in December 2002.
The final proposal - a day use visitor centre and cafe - has now received planning approval from both the Resource Planning and Development Commission and the Trust. In accordance with the Management Plan, however, the Trust must also satisfy itself as to the economic viability of the proposal, and also approve any lease between the Council and the proponents. Click here for further information on the proposal and the assessment process.
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The Springs Initial Conservation Policy
The Trust has endorsed the Springs Initial Conservation Policy (ICP) for the Springs Zone. The ICP was released for public review and comment in March 2007, and includes the policies previously prepared for the Former Exhibition Gardens Conservation Management Plan (CMP), located within the Springs Zone.
The aim of the ICP is to provide guidance in relation to the sound conservation and management of the historic heritage values of The Springs area in the short term until a more comprehensive conservation management plan can be prepared for the precinct. The ICP will allow immediate management issues to be addressed with some certainty.
The ICP contains nine over-arching conservation policies that relate to the broader protection and management of the area's historical, social, archaeological, aesthetic and landscape values and its natural setting.
The over-arching policies recognise and respect the long historical use of The Springs for predominantly outdoor recreation, as a source of drinking water supply and, to a lesser extent, for scientific work and nature appreciation.
The ICP provides scope for the development of facilities but suggests limits to the location and nature of facilities development to ensure it is appropriate to the historical signficance of The Springs.