A place for opinions about what is happening in the Alps ….

Snow mobiles in the back country. A bit of a rave about Falls Creek’s ‘back country’ ski tours.

The Bale development at Mt Hotham.

A skyway up Buffalo?

The Buffalo Plateau is a wonderful granite plateau that sits out to the north west from the main ranges of the Victorian Alps. It has been badly burnt in bushfires in recent years but is still a significant area of wild country, and is one of the oldest national parks in the state. The main tourism infrastructure is currently not operating – the historic chalet is closed and the Cresta Valley resort was destroyed in bushfires. But there is easy access up onto the plateau via a sealed road that is kept open year round.

At present there is consultation going on about plans to build a ‘skyway’ up on to the Buffalo Plateau (no definite route has yet been selected).

The Alpine Shire Council unanimously approved the investigation at its meeting on November 4, 2009. It is put forward as a way of “expanding the potential tourism product offering in the Great Alpine Valleys”.

Well, this is part of the problem. The Alpine Valleys are great places to live. As wonderfully diverse landscapes, easily accessed from big centres like Melbourne and Albury-Wodonga, they attract many visitors, including those who are heading through on their way to the mountains. Buffalo is a remarkable place, and a gondola or similar skyway would have a huge impact on the environment as well as significant visual impacts. Yet anyone who sees the place as a ‘product’ probably is going to see the possible financial benefits without seeing the environmental costs.

There is information from the proponent available here.

There is information from an alternative perspective here.