The proponent of a cable car project on Hobart's kunanyi/Mount Wellington says it has made a "regrettable" move to scale back its plan in an attempt to see the project win approval.
The Mount Wellington Cableway Company appealed against the Hobart City Council's refusal of their proposal to the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal.
The Hobart City Council rejected the project in July, after an independent planner's report found it would diminish the tourism, recreational, cultural and landscape values of the mountain.
There were 21 grounds for refusal, with a further nine later added to the appeal.
The company has now submitted a revised proposal, which chairman Chris Oldfield said would reduce the size of the pinnacle centre by about 40 per cent.
"We'll also reduce the operating hours basically to daylight hours, except we won't start the cableway until after 9am on school days."
The number of people who can travel in the cabins has been reduced from 80 to 40.
"It's regrettable, but we've listened to what the community's had to say, we've listened to the council," Mr Oldfield said.
Mr Oldfield said the route over the Organ Pipes was the best choice from both an environmental and scenic point of view.
Residents Opposed to the Cable Car has slammed the revised proposal as "development by stealth", with the new plans not required to be advertised for public comment.
"This proponent appears willing to do and say anything to get a foot in the door and a lease for public land on the summit of kunanyi," spokesman Vica Bayley said.
"No-one should have any confidence that the abandoned restaurant won't be reinstated in a future development application, to be considered once the special values of kunanyi have been compromised by the construction of the cable car, cafe, bar and function centre."
Asked whether the company would consider making subsequent changes, Mr Oldfield said: "While I remain chair of the cableway we won't be coming back with any second proposals to make the scheme larger, I can give that personal guarantee."
Changes 'do nothing' to avoid environmental impact, critic says
Mr Bayley disputed the company's claims that it had listened to feedback.
"While this revised application seeks to overcome some of the now-30 grounds of refusal, it does nothing to address others," he said.
"These changes do nothing to avoid the bulldozing of swift parrot and masked owl nesting trees, the traffic on residential streets, noise, sewage and odour.
"There is still a 35-metre-tall tower atop the mountain and it's impossible to see how abandoning a significant commercial element of the development will turn around the already discredited claims of economic benefit."
The amendments will now be considered by the parties to the appeal in an attempt to reach a mediated outcome.
