Controversial plans for a tourism development in Tasmania's Wilderness World Heritage Area have hit a fresh hurdle, with a court ruling the project must return to a tribunal for reassessment.
Developer Wild Drake wants to build a luxury camp at Lake Malbena in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park and fly tourists to the remote destination by helicopter.
The full bench of the Supreme Court of Tasmania has ruled the proposal must return to the state's planning tribunal for assessment under Tasmania's wilderness world heritage management plan.
Wilderness Society Tasmania, which has long argued against the development, described the decision as a win.
"(The decision) is a victory for everyone fighting to keep Tasmania's World Heritage wilderness public, protected and thriving," spokesman Tom Allen said.
"The decision ... is a vindication of our long-running fight to protect the world's highest-rated World Heritage wilderness."
Wild Drake's Daniel Hackett indicated the company would push ahead with the plan describing the court ruling as "another unfortunately technical issue".
"It's as plain as the nose on your face that we meet the planning scheme," he told ABC radio on Thursday.
"All of us that do these projects face massive time obstacles ... that's just the issue with three different planning schemes, local, state and federal, all operating separately."
The project was rejected in February 2019 by the Central Highlands Council but later approved by the planning tribunal.
The recent court ruling set aside an early court ruling upholding the tribunal's approval.
The Environmental Defenders Office, which spearheaded the legal challenge, said the tribunal erred because it didn't assess the project in accordance with the wilderness world heritage management plan.
"We are considering the implications of the decision and discussing next steps with our clients," managing lawyer Claire Bookless said.
"The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is an absolute treasure, an internationally-recognised icon with huge importance to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, conservationists, bushwalkers and anglers."
Australian Associated Press
