Mountain Journal

As reported several times by Mountain Journal, the Alpine Shire in north east Victoria is currently investigating whether to develop a ‘Village Green’ (oval/ polo field/ elite athlete training ground) in the Dinner Plain village. The estimated cost of the project is $1.5 million and substantial investigations have been carried out to assess the likely environmental, social and economic implications of the proposal. Council is now deciding whether to proceed with developing the Green, which will require the destruction of almost 2 hectares of snow gum woodland (an assessment of the environmental impacts of this project is available here).

The information provided to the public by Council about the environmental impacts of the proposal and costs of managing the Green over time have been assessed by an independent ecological consultant. This was done in a voluntary capacity and provided to Council to aid in their decision making. An edited version is provided below.

Continue reading “Has Alpine Shire underestimated the economic and environmental costs of the Dinner Plain ‘Green’?” →

Plans are slowly moving forward to clear about half a hectare of snowgum woodland at Dinner Plain for a ‘Village Green’.

The Alpine Shire budget for 2016/17 includes funding for the planning and design of a multipurpose ‘Village Green’ to the north west of the current village.

The Dinner Plain Master Plan, finalised in 2015, included a proposal for a cleared area which would aim to provide space for a number of uses. The current proposal is slightly smaller, but would still involve substantial destruction of snow gum woodland. Plans include a space for high altitude training for athletes, football, polo, and potentially a refuge spot in the case of bushfire (although it can be argued that there is already a large cleared area, being the ski run, which could serve for this purpose).

Continue reading “Village green or environmental destruction?” →