The Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing (FHAC) is a 37km hike located in the Alpine National Park in north eastern Victoria. The hike generally is done as a 3 day trip, and links the resort towns of Falls Creek and Mt Hotham (starting and finishing slightly outside each town). It is hugely popular.

The creation of the walk, which simply connected existing tracks was a smart way to create an ‘iconic’ walk without much in the way of infrastructure (there are camping platforms at the two suggested overnight sites).

However, like other state governments, the Victorian government has been focused on encouraging private commercial development within national parks, including within the Alpine National Park. The Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing Master Plan proposes an ‘improved’ option for the FHAC which would make it a 57-kilometre, multi-day route which will take in the Diamantina Spur and Razorback as well as the Bogong High Plains.

The ‘improved’ walk will be a 5-day, 4-night hiking trip from Falls Creek to Mount Hotham and it has been strongly opposed by many environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts because the campsites attached to the walk will be privately operated.

There was a feedback process on the draft designs. More than 6,000 people visited the Engage Victoria page on the project, more than 60 people joined conversations at ‘pop-up’ sessions in local towns, and more than 640 responses were contributed via survey, submissions and email. As expected, the majority of respondents expressed serious concerns about the proposal and many want it cancelled.

In late 2022, Parks Victoria (PV) released a report summarising the feedback received. PV says ‘through consultation we heard: project concerns, what people liked about the designs and ways they would improve them’. There was widespread vocal opposition to the whole proposal.

Following feedback received, Parks Victoria is:

  • Reducing the number of huts and tent platforms proposed at each site
  • Reducing the size of the communal shelters proposed
  • Considering an operational model that invites Licensed Tour Operators as well as private bookings to keep cost options for hikers as low as possible.

As noted in the report,

‘Many participants used the opportunity to comment on draft designs to express their opposition to the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing project overall.
There were high levels of concern raised from participants about the project. These concerns related to potential impacts on the environment, the project not aligning with the purpose of national parks, over-visitation, concerns about the community consultation process, the potential cost to stay in the huts, the accuracy of economic information in the Business Case, and safety concerns of attracting less experienced hikers to the area.

Now is the time to speak up

According to the Parks Victoria FHAC project page, 2024 will see final assessments and approvals for the project, with construction to occur next summer (2024/25).

So, if you hold concerns about private development within national parks, now is the time to speak up!

Parks Victoria continue to push ahead with this unpopular plan. But with feedback received from the public, they are considering how much to scale the project back.

It is ultimately up to the Victorian Environment Minister, Steve Dimopoulos, to decide whether the project should proceed.

The contact details for the minister can be found here:

https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/steve-dimopoulos/

Please contact the Minister and urge him to intervene and rule out any commercial development within the Alpine National Park, including the planned Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing upgrade.

Some things to include:

  • Keep it polite and simple – just say you oppose the planned commercial development within the Alpine national parks which is attached to the upgrade of the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing.
  • Highlight the fact that the vast majority of people who responded to the community consultation opposed the plan to extend the current walk if it includes privately run campsites and accommodation.
  • He is also the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events and the Minister for Outdoor Recreation – so please reference your experience and interest in visiting national parks.
  • Our national parks desperately need additional funding to manage visitor impacts, invasive species, and the threat of climate change and fire. Yet the state government has allocated $17 million to the FHAC project. These are funds that could be much more useful elsewhere in the Parks system.