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Partial demolition of Mt Buffalo chalet to start

As a further development in the long running saga about the historic chalet on the Buffalo Plateau, The Weekly Times is reporting that the two accommodation wings on the chalet can now be demolished.

The journalist is Chris McLellan.

Iconic Mt Buffalo chalet to be saved by knocking some of it down

Image: SMH
Image: SMH

DEMOLITION works can proceed on the Mt Buffalo ­chalet after heritage protection ­orders were lifted.

Two wings will be knocked down to make way for a $7.5 million restoration and allow the chalet to be reopened as a day visitor centre.

Heritage Victoria granted the permit over the objections of the National Trust which supported efforts to restore the century-old chalet but not at the cost of about 40 per cent of the building.

The chalet closed in 2007.

There is still debate about whether the demolition works will need Federal Government approval as it is included on the National Heritage List.

A clearing sale of hundreds of items from the chalet will be held on May 4.

Heritage Victoria executive director Tim Smith said the permit would allow the main chalet building to be restored “to its former glory”.

Benalla MP Bill Sykes said work had started on the restoration with maintenance work well under way.

Expressions of interest closed this week for community representatives to oversee the redevelopment.

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Buffalo Chalet facing partial demolition, renovation, reopening

Image: Sustainable Melbourne
Image: Sustainable Melbourne

The Mt Buffalo chalet is more than a century old, and an icon of the Victorian mountains. There is nothing else remotely like it, inter twined as it is with the post invasion history of the Buffalo Plateau. The chalet is included in the Victorian Heritage Register for its architectural, historical and social significance.

It was closed in 2007, and has been in deterioration since then.

There have been various attempts to save the Chalet, get it renovated and reopened, but as time goes by, the damage to the building continues to grow, making any plan to re-open the whole building for accommodation ever more unlikely.

There are now plans to lift heritage protections to allow demolition of several sections of the lodge.

The Government wants to re-open the publicly-owned building as a visitor day centre and cafe in a $7.5 million restoration.

There is a good story from Chris McLennan of The Weekly Times about the current state of the Chalet and the plans to demolish part of it and reopen the front section of the building.

 

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7 peaks Alpine Ascent Challenge

Image: http://theclimbingcyclist.com/7-peaks-domestique-series-ride-5-falls-creek/
Image: http://theclimbingcyclist.com/7-peaks-domestique-series-ride-5-falls-creek/

Victoria’s 7 peaks Alpine Ascent Challenge is an at-your-own pace cycling challenge which takes in all of Victoria’s Alpine Resorts.

The ‘riding season’ is now open. You can tackle the 7 Peaks (Mt Baw Baw, Mt Buffalo, Mt Buller, Dinner Plain, Falls Creek, Hotham, Lake Mountain) anytime from October 18 2013 to March 31 2014.

The challenge is for people – over the next five months – to ride each mountain at a time that suits them.

The organisers say:
‘The 7 Peaks passport will be the proof of your cycling toughness, stamping it along the way for every summit you successfully ride. Once you have completed your peaks and submitted your stamped passport, you will go into the draw to win some amazing prizes. Ride four peaks or more and you get the chance to win this year’s major prize. There’s also 7 amazing alpine winter experiences to be won’.

Further information available here.

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Buffalo Chalet gets $7m for refurbishment

The following news item comes from The Age newspaper, journalist Darren Gray.

Image: SMH
Image: SMH

The grand old dame of Victoria’s alpine country, the Mount Buffalo Chalet, will reopen its doors once a $7 million project to refurbish the historic building and establish a day visitor centre and, hopefully, a cafe is complete.

The first clean-up works inside the 103-year-old chalet, closed since January 2007, are expected to start within weeks. But the project is more than a facelift, because outbuildings as well as some rooms that were not part of the original structure are likely to be demolished. Building assessments and recommendations will be carried out soon.

Environment Minister Ryan Smith will announce the project today and say the government is committed to preserving the building for future generations and ensuring ”the site is primed and ready for appropriate future investment.”

In an interview with Fairfax Media on Friday, he said the chalet was ”an icon in the area. It’s a state asset. We need to make sure that we can get people up there. I’m passionate about getting as many people into our parks as possible.”
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”We want to make sure it’s useful, rather than just spending taxpayers’ money on maintaining something that’s not actually being used. So I think it’s important that we do get it back to some useable state.”

Mr Smith said the project, expected to take about a year, would pave the way for development, subject to national parks guidelines. Recent research found no private operator was interested in the site in its current state.

In about a year the government would call for expressions of interest for the site. ”Everything’s on the table, as long as it conforms to our guidelines around tourism development in these national parks,” he said.

Asked if the chalet could once again offer accommodation, he said: ”I’d leave it to commercial forces … But I’d look at anything. What I hope is that we get something that’s sustainable. I don’t want to look back in three years or five years or whatever and say ‘That didn’t work’.”

The works will be funded by a $4.7 million insurance payout for bushfire damage on Mount Buffalo and a contribution from the state’s Regional Growth Fund.

Mayor of the Alpine Shire, Peter Roper, said the project was ”absolutely fantastic news” that would be welcomed by locals.

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Buffalo National Park closed by landslide

The following comes from the Border Mail, journalist SARAH DEAN. Photo: Tara Ashworth.

Students down as national park closed

Image: Tara Ashworth, Border Mail

A GROUP of school children stuck on Mount Buffalo after a landslide have been able to travel home this morning after a night spent on the peak.

Quick work by roads crews this morning saw a section of rock debris blocking Mount Buffalo Road to be blasted away allowing vehicles to descend from the peak.

The students from a Mansfield high school, some sightseers and a ranger were able to drive through a gap between boulders which fell on to the road about midday yesterday.

A VicRoads spokeswoman said the road not been closed from the bottom of the mountain and Parks Victoria had shut Mount Buffalo National Park for the weekend.

Works crews will continue to assess the best method to clear the boulders.

The students were among visitors forced to spend last night on the mountain after 300mm of rain this week triggered the landslide.

Machinery from Tallangatta was brought in late yesterday to start work on clearing the road.

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Mt Buffalo chalet rescue plan rejected

The following comes from the Border Mail in Albury. Journalist is Brad Worrall. Nov 22, 2011

Image: SMH

THE future of the historic Mount Buffalo Chalet is again in limbo with the Victorian government rejecting the latest rescue bid.

Mount Buffalo Community Enterprise’s $50 million plan to refurbish the attraction was dismissed by Environment Minister Ryan Smith in a letter two weeks ago.

He said the government was not in a position to fund the proposal at this stage.

But Mount Buffalo Community Enterprise chairman John Brown wants to know what happens next.

“We have written to the Premier to seek clarification on what their plans are to save the chalet,” he said.

“If not our plan, then what and by when?

“The concept plan, which has already withstood close scrutiny from an architectural, heritage and financial perspective, involves a contemporary chalet redevelopment.

“It would breathe new life back into the chalet and the mountain.

“Now all we get is a letter and that is a little dismissive.”
The plan submitted to the government would result in a 99-room hotel-guest house combining contemporary accommodation and preserving the key heritage components of the old chalet.

The plan included low-emissions solar power systems and a new interpretative centre.

The group did not intend to reinstate the ski fields on the Ovens Valley plateau.

The state government would have been required to put up $33 million for the venture, with no return on the taxpayers’ investment.

More than 50 per cent of the profits would have been returned to the community.

Mr Brown wonders whether the government is hoping for a white knight.

“The decision to appoint us came after two rounds of advertising,” he said.

“We were clearly the most attractive option to government at that time, so who will come to the chalet’s rescue now?

“The truth is, today, we are no closer to saving Mount Buffalo chalet than we were five years ago.

“That’s of grave concern to us.

“If the community shares our concern now’s the time to speak up.”

The chalet has been closed since January 2007 in the wake of the bushfires in the North East and an ensuing lease dispute.

Mount Buffalo Community Enterprise’s involvement followed an extensive tender process over 18 months.

In October last year the group entered a 12-month exclusive negotiation period with Parks Victoria.

A $200,000 state bovernment grant and $250,000 of their own money paid for a viability study and the business plan.

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news on Buffalo Chalet future soon?

This article comes from the Bright Observer, journalist: ALEX BAIRD

Hopes are high

Group waits for government to back push to give chalet new lease of life

The Gorge, Buffalo Plateau

DESPITE no word from the State Government on the future of the Mount Buffalo Chalet, hope remains strong among members of the consortium fighting to reopen the building that a positive outcome will occur.

The Mt Buffalo Community Enterprise (MBCE) group submitted a comprehensive proposal to Parks Victoria in May, which was designed to show the merits of returning the chalet to its former glory.

MBCE executive director Mark McKenzie-McHarg said while talks were still in place, there had been no official word from the government on whether it would back the chalet, which has been closed since 2007 after a lease dispute.

“There’s no further news at this stage, but we are hoping to hear something in the coming weeks,” he said.

“We are involved in discussions and are hopeful we can come to some sort of arrangement.

“We still feel positive, we don’t have any certainty about this.

“It’s a big project and we feel it’s important to be patient.”

For any plans to go ahead to restore the famous building, Mr McKenzie-McHarg said it would need a “significant government contribution” and while the group had plenty of local support, until a government response was forthcoming, the group wasn’t getting too excited.

“We’ve had a lot of interest from a range of different community groups,” he said.

“We really need the State Government to commit, but until that happens we aren’t trying to have too big a profile.

“We think it’s important to be patient, because it’s such a big project, we’ve already submitted business cases and proposals.

“If we do get their backing, that’s when we’d go out and try and get more people onboard.”

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‘Environment minister keen to see chalet plans’

The following comes from the Bright Observer.

Journalist: EBONY D’ARCY

A BID to breathe new life into the Mt Buffalo Chalet continued last week with members of the Mt Buffalo Community Enterprise group meeting with the state environment minister.

Bill Sykes (MLA, Benalla) led a deputation made up of enterprise chair John Brown and directors Mark McKenzie-McHarg and Cameron McKern to visit Environment Minister Ryan Smith at Parliament House on Thursday.

The visit was part of the group’s bid to rejuvenate the 100-year-old building, which has been lying idle for more than three years.

The meeting was an opportunity for the group members to meet Mr Smith and familiarise him with their case.

Mr Sykes said the minister agreed that “something needs to be done”.

“The minister requested that once the group has their presentation ready for Parks Victoria, they also present it to him and Minister for Tourism Louise Asher,” he said.

“He was keen to see what the group comes up with.”

The group has until the end of May to develop a comprehensive project plan for presentation to Parks Victoria, which will include solutions for issues with energy and power supply on the mountain.

The aim is to have the go-ahead by September, which will allow detailed architectural planning, applications and governmental negotiations to begin.

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Plan to re-open Buffalo Chalet emerges

Wildflowers, Buffalo Plateau, VIC

The resurrection of the landmark Mount Buffalo Chalet is a step closer to reality after the state government agreed to help a local community group develop a plan to redevelop the building.

The government will give it a 12-month deadline and $200,000 to develop a viable business model that will redevelop and operate the 100-year-old chalet. The building is Victoria’s first ski lodge and was a plum holiday destination for Melbourne’s wealthy.

The community group, known as the Mount Buffalo Community Enterprise, has 16 shareholders, including well-known local business figures such as John Brown of Brown Brothers Wines and Tom O’Toole from the Beechworth Bakery. But the biggest name among shareholders is former deputy prime minister and current ambassador to the Vatican, Tim Fischer.

The group pledged that if it revived the chalet, it would distribute 51 per cent of profits to a community foundation, with the balance to be shared between investors.

From the article Mt Buffalo’s ‘grande dame’ wins powerful new friends by Darren Gray, The Age, October 29, 2010.
For the full story, check here.

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getting ready for climate change in the North East

As the Alpine Shire of Victoria’s north east continues with its bizarre ‘cart before horse’ approach to getting a major development going within the Buffalo National Park, it is also doing some useful and considered work on climate change.

Buffalo Plateau from near Mt Hotham

Just this week, Council accepted the final report of a study into the viability of a ‘skyways’ system on Mt Buffalo. Last year Council offered its active support for the proposal, with a community study which was conducted by the Buffalo Skyways Taskforce arm of the Great Alpine Valley Tourism Board.

Unsurprisngly, the study found 64% ‘support’ for the project.

See here for some of the issues associated with developing a major gondola/ skyway project within one of our most significant national parks.

Climate change and the North East

Meanwhile, Council has been working with the adjacent Towong Shire to consider what the expected rise in average temperatures, days of extreme fire-weather risk, drought conditions and a decrease in rainfall and snow will mean for the region, and how to best plan for these conditions.

According to the Alpine Council website:

“The councils assessed how their services and assets would be affected by predicted climate change, including increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather and reduced water availability”.

The CSIRO predicts that temperatures in north-eastern Victoria could be, on average, up to 1.6 degrees warmer by 2030 and up to five degrees warmer by 2070.

Snow fall is expected to be reduced by between 10 and 40 per cent by 2030 and between 22 and 85 per cent by 2050.

The number of very-high and extreme fire-weather risk days is also expected to climb by between four and 25 percent by 2020 and 15 to 70 per cent by 2050.

Alpine Shire Council’s Manager Planning and Environment Services, Heather Green said the findings did not recommend that councils fundamentally change the way they operate. This means that, sadly, there are no real mitigation measures included in Councils response – that is proposals to reduce the emissions of Council operations. Council has taken a  simple  ‘adaptation’ approach, which is generally seen as being insufficient as a strategy for dealing with global warming.

What is suggested is for Council to consider the likely future impacts of climate change on new developments within the Shire’s area. “For example, factoring predicted increases in flooding and storm events when upgrading urban storm-water systems will minimise the need to replace damaged infrastructure and reduce the risk to the community”.

The climate change risk assessments undertaken by both councils will result in the development of specific service area action plans to enable current services, assets and policies to adapt to the predicted climate variability.

The project has been delivered in partnership with the North East Greenhouse Alliance and funded with the assistance of the Australian Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

For further information on the Councils response and details on expected climate change impacts, see here.

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Buffalo skways final “Open House” Information & Feed Back Session

This will be held on Wednesday June 16, 2010 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Alpine Visitor Information Centre, Bright, Victoria.

It is hosted by Council and billed as being a Public open house session.

This is your last opportunity to voice your support or concerns. Everyone is welcome to visit and comment. If you can’t attend, please send your thoughts to the Alpine Shire (the proponents for this proposed project) via their contacts page.

For details on some of the environmental problems of this project and how to voice your concerns, please check here.

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Have your say on the future of the alpine resorts

The Department of Sustainability and Environment and the Alpine Resorts Co-ordinating Council are reviewing the Alpine resorts 2020 Strategy. The strategy was created to guide the the long term planning and management of Victoria’s six alpine resorts.

Mount Buller, VIC

DSE and ARCC will be hosting a series of workshops in June to identify key trends and issues for the future of resorts and look at how the new strategy can address these issues.

Workshops will be held in Melbourne and at or near the six resorts from June 1 until June 23. You need to rsvp for the events.
hayley.hollis@dse.vic.gov.au

For details on the workshops, check here.

For details on the existing Resorts 2020 strategy, check here.

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