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Environment, news, culture from the Australian Alps

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Cam Walker

I work with Friends of the Earth, and live in Castlemaine in Central Victoria, Australia. Activist, mountain enthusiast, telemark skier, volunteer firefighter.

Tourism in national parks. When is enough enough?

Mountain Journal has previously covered the release of a proposed Master Plan for the Cradle Valley section of the Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park, which was developed by the Cradle Coast Authority. We highlighted some of the positive aspects of the proposal here.

However, a cornerstone of the proposal is a cable car, which would run from a new tourist centre to the north of the park boundary to Crater Lake. The Authority says ‘the Cable Car is the core element of the Cradle Mountain concept.’

A recent article by Nicholas Sawyer in The Mercury provides some thoughtful views about the proposal for a cable car and the broader issue of how tourism interacts with our national parks.

Continue reading “Tourism in national parks. When is enough enough?” →

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Keep an eye out for willows and other weeds

The following comes from Parks Victoria.

Help us eradicate willow and other noxious weeds from the Baw Baw and Alpine National Parks by participating in the West Gippsland Peatland Community Threat Surveillance Program, keeping an eye out for willows while you are visiting.

Continue reading “Keep an eye out for willows and other weeds” →

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Backcountry film festival – Melbourne, May 2

We now have a date for the Melbourne showing of the Backcountry film festival:

Monday May 2

‘Public Lecture Theatre’ in Old Arts Building

Melbourne University, Carlton.

Map available here.

Suggested donation: $8 conc & students/ $15 waged. Tickets at the door. There will be plenty of room.

All proceeds go to the Friends of the Earth climate campaign against new coal and gas drilling in Victoria.

7 – 9pm. Films start at 7.15pm. There will be a short intermission.

Hosted by Friends of the Earth and Melbourne University Ski Club.

Facebook page for the event here.

For a listing of the films (and details on the April 30 show in Sydney) please check here.

For further information: Cam Walker 0419 338 047 cam.walker@foe.org.au

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CFA volunteers call for a halt to this season’s planned burns in Strathbogie Ranges

In a significant move, volunteers with the Country Fire Authority (CFA) in north east Victoria have called for a halt to planned fuel reduction burns in the Strathbogie Ranges. Mountain Journal has previously reported on community calls to halt the burns because of the likely ecological impacts.

Continue reading “CFA volunteers call for a halt to this season’s planned burns in Strathbogie Ranges” →

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Riding for the Great Forest National Park

This is a novel way of raising awareness about the proposal for the Great Forest National Park – riding a bike through the forests and posting updates about the amazing things and places to be found in the Central Highlands.

The following comes from Aidan Kempster, writing on their Chuffed page.

Continue reading “Riding for the Great Forest National Park” →

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Tom’s Outdoors – Tumut

Anyone who has been involved in small scale retail knows how hard it is to get a new business going. In the realm of outdoor gear, there is the move to online buying and the threat posed by the large chains, who can sell goods at greatly reduced prices, and who have deep pockets for sourcing stock. Being in a small town adds to the challenge of making a new business economically viable.

Tom’s Outdoors is a recent venture, based in Tumut, in the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains.

Continue reading “Tom’s Outdoors – Tumut” →

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The Grasshopper prediction for winter 2016

It’s April: two months til winter… Which gets us all thinking about what type of season it will be.

Most Australian snow enthusiasts know about The Grasshopper, who writes snow forecasts for MountainWatch (‘resident meteorology sensei’ at MountainWatch).

The first prediction for 2016 has arrived.

Continue reading “The Grasshopper prediction for winter 2016” →

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The Victorian Walking Festival

The Victorian Walking festival starts on April 1 and goes until May 8.

You can choose walks by date, theme or region. There are walks in Melbourne and regional VIC plus lots of specialised themes like night walking, food culture, natural history, etc.

The following information comes from the organiser, Stephen Ingrouille

Continue reading “The Victorian Walking Festival” →

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Restoring the West Kiewa

The following report outlines the excellent weed removal and restoration of indigenous species which has been happening along the West Kiewa River in the section above and around Mt Beauty in north east Victoria.

It comes from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

Continue reading “Restoring the West Kiewa” →

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Mountain Journal turns six

It’s autumn, so it must be time for the annual reflection on Mountain Journal.

Fires in Tasmania, unprecedented heating of the planet, a good winter, fewer direct threats to the Alps, but the slow burn of climate change …

You can read the reflection here.

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Works Begin To Preserve Mount Buffalo Chalet

The following comes from the Victorian government:

The Andrews Labor Government today announced the newly appointed members of the Mount Buffalo Destination Advisory Group, which will work with Parks Victoria to identify future tourism options for the Mount Buffalo Chalet.

The advisory group was established to consider future options for the Chalet so it can stay safe and secure for generations to come.

Continue reading “Works Begin To Preserve Mount Buffalo Chalet” →

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Conservation group calls for immediate stop to burning and logging of Strathbogie forests

Following the hottest ever February on record across the globe, and an extremely hot, dry March in north-east Victoria, Euroa Environment Group has called for an immediate halt to planned burning and logging this year of some of the last stands of mature native forest left in the Strathbogie Ranges.

Continue reading “Conservation group calls for immediate stop to burning and logging of Strathbogie forests” →

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