‘Chadstone on the hill’: Rollercoaster-style luge planned for Mornington Peninsula

A proposed rollercoaster-style luge track on the Mornington Peninsula is facing opposition from locals who describe it as “Disneyland” and “Chadstone on the hill”.

Arthurs Seat Eagle lodged plans in September for a $25 million redevelopment that would add a luge and 25-metre tall observation tower to the existing gondola ride, which in 2016 replaced the hillside’s long-running chairlift.

The Arthurs Seat luge would be modelled on the Thredbo Alpine Coaster in NSW, which opened this year. The 1.5km-long Thredbo track allows passengers to travel up to 40km/h on a mix of uphill and downhill sections featuring a tunnel, bridges and circles.

The operators say the Arthurs Seat upgrades will bring a “thrilling” attraction to the area for tourists to spend money on.

Arthurs Seat Eagle CEO Matthew Mulkearns said the company was getting feedback from customers who enjoyed the gondola ride but wanted more to do during their visits.

“There is nothing else like this in Victoria,” he said.

But some residents see it as unnecessary overdevelopment that will diminish Arthurs Seat’s natural appeal.

Kylie Greer from Save our Seat– a group that has opposed past Arthurs Seat developments – said it was an “inappropriate development of an area that is supposed to be a state park”.

She said there was already plenty to do there without needing a luge track.

“There’s a maze around the corner, about 50 acres of parkland, there’s beaches, there’s other places to go,” she said.

“It doesn’t have to be a one-stop shop that you get there and then all of your dreams come true. It’s not Disneyland.

“The chairlift was an innocent little project now it’s turning into Chadstone on the hill.”

The proposal also includes a new 25-metre observation tower that would provide 360-degree views of Port Phillip Bay and Western Port Bay and a pedestrian bridge across Arthurs Seat Road.

A new “interpretive and experience centre” would also be added to the base station providing a history of the Mornington Peninsula via a sensory display.

Mulkearns said construction of the luge would be “extremely light touch” and could be put together like a Meccano set. The track would run from the summit to its base station with a motorised conveyer belt towing patrons back to the top.

As part of its research, the company had considered a concrete track, which are used in New Zealand, before settling on a design using steel rails similar to a rollercoaster.

“We travelled overseas to identify luge systems that were really empathetic with the environment and surrounds,” he said.

Mulkearns acknowledged there had been community opposition to the project and said the company was talking to residents about their concerns. “Some of them are opposed to everything we’re doing, let alone one particular aspect,” he said.

He said the designs and materials used in the redevelopment would be sympathetic to the area. The plans were drafted in consultation with Parks Victoria, which manages the Arthurs Seat State Park.

Arthurs Seat Eagle has a 50-year lease agreement with the state government, which it signed in 2015. The company is owned by billionaire Peter Gunn and NAB director Simon McKeon.

The application will be decided by the Department of Planning, instead of the Mornington Peninsula Shire, under the state government’s Development Facilitation Program, which fast-tracks projects that boost the economy.

If the proposal gets approval, construction is expected to commence this time next year.

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