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Environment, news, culture from the Australian Alps

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Parks Victoria Volunteer Track Ranger Program

Last year Parks Victoria (PV) ran a Volunteer Track Ranger Program in north east Victoria. They received a very positive response from both the people who volunteered and those who were out hiking in the areas where volunteer rangers were present. PV has decided to run the program again this year and is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified people.

Being involved in the program will enable participants to expand their volunteer experience while exploring some of the remote terrains and campsites in the Alpine National Park. This helps Parks Victoria during peak times of visitation.

Continue reading “Parks Victoria Volunteer Track Ranger Program” →

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‘Road to Nowhere’ rejected

Mountain Journal has previously reported on the plans to build a “Buller Stirling Link Rd” between the two mountains. It has been argued by the proponent (Mt Buller Resort Management) that the road will provide a second escape route off the mountain should a bushfire or land slide close the main road from Mirimbah to Mt Buller. There has been the argument that a link road will encourage more tourists in the ‘green season’ as it is sometimes argued that tourists don’t like going up a dead end road (this argument was used in the unsuccessful campaign to put a road in from the Baw Baw village and across the Baw Baw plateau).

Continue reading “‘Road to Nowhere’ rejected” →

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New developments on Ben Lomond?

A feasibility study has released which looks at the potential for further development at the Ben Lomond ski field in north eastern Tasmania. It is called Investment in Ben Lomond Skifield Northern Tasmania. It was produced for a range of clients including local government councils, Tourism Northern Tasmania, the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service and the Ben Lomond Committee. The committee is composed of the club / lodge and business operators at Ben Lomond and acts as a lobby group for the Ben Lomond skifield.

It proposes some significant developments be undertaken on the plateau in order to make the ski fields viable and extend the ‘green season’ attraction of the mountain. It identifies the likely financial costs of these developments without suggesting a source of finance. It points out that the development will lead to economic benefits across north western Tasmania rather than just the skifield itself. However, while noting the environmental impacts which could come with these developments, it makes no attempt to quantify these.

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Review: Mountain Ash: Fire, Logging and the Future of Victoria’s Giant Forests

David Lindenmayer is the renowned specialist on the critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum and the Mountain Ash forests that are their home. He has collaborated with other researchers to produce a book which looks at the possums future in light of fires and logging.

While it is expensive (almost $60) it is an incredibly important contribution to our knowledge about these forests. It is available from the CSIRO.

The following review was written by Alex Mullarky, and originally published on the Wild Melbourne website.

Continue reading “Review: Mountain Ash: Fire, Logging and the Future of Victoria’s Giant Forests” →

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A ‘MCG’ sized oval at Dinner Plain?

There has been a long planning process around how the alpine village of Dinner Plain should be developed. Most businesses struggle with the extremely seasonal nature of the tourist trade, and residents can struggle because the small number of permanents makes it difficult to sustain basic services like the supermarket through out the year.

Continue reading “A ‘MCG’ sized oval at Dinner Plain?” →

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Appreciating the Home Range

As a keen skier and walker I love to visit some of the higher ranges around the world. But having done lots of overseas trips I figure I’ve consumed well beyond a fair share of carbon, and tend to stick close to home for my adventures nowadays.

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Splitfest 2016

The Australian Splitboard gathering will be held for the fourth year in the Snowy Mountains next winter.

August 21 – 23, 2016.

Chuck it in your diary. It will start with the usual gathering at the Banjo Patterson Inn in Jindabyne on the friday night. Facebook page available here.

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Summer of Citizen Science and Forest Defence

Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO), based in a mountain valley in far east Gippsland, is organising two weeks of ‘citizen science’ and a range of activities intended to protect the native forests of the region.

It runs from Friday, December 4 until Friday, December 18.

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Line up for the 2015/16 Backcountry film festival

We now have the line up of films for the next Backcountry Film festival. Nine films featuring skiing, boarding and climbing, spread over several continents.

You can find the details here.

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MountainGrass music festival

The Mountaingrass festival is an institution, having been around for more than a quarter of a century. It is held in Harrietville. The dates for 2015 are November 20 to 22.

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The Buffalo Stampede

The Buffalo Stampede is a ‘SkyRunning’ race event that will be held over three days in April 2016 on a variety of courses near Bright.

SkyRunning events are held around the world. This will be the third time Bright has hosted it. There are a range of options, from kids races, a 12 kilometre event to the top of Mt Porepunkah and Apex Hill, plus a 42 kilometre Marathon and 72 kilometre Ultra Marathon. The Ultra follows a course from Bright to Mt Buffalo and back. There is also the option to join the Grand Slam, three days of running which sees participants cover 142 km and 9,000 metres of ascent.

You can find further information and sign up here.

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Mt Wellington road to be heritage-listed

Anyone who has been to Hobart has probably been up Mt Wellington (kunanyi), the charismatic mountain that sits over the city. The road up the mountain allows you to get from sea level to an alpine environment with incredible views with just a short drive.

While there is an ongoing fight to stop a cable car which has been proposed for the mountain, the mountain top itself is largely undeveloped. Hobart City Council has just started a process to include Pinnacle Rd as a heritage-listed item in the Hobart Interim Planning Scheme 2015.

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