Since 1995. #1 in Snow
The Victorian Government has released the Alpine Resorts Strategic Plan 2012.
Presented to the Victorian Parliament today by Victorian Minister for Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith, the plan aims to shape the long-term direction of Victoria's six alpine resorts of Mt Hotham, Falls Creek, Mt Buller, Mt Stirling, Mt Baw Baw and Lake Mountain, ensuring they remain attractive tourist destinations, financially viable and capable of attracting new investment.
Introducing the plan, Minister Smith said the strategic plan recognised the fact that the winter season was the economic engine of the resorts but suggested that opportunities existed to expand their array of iconic non-winter events and investment.
Under the strategic plan, each of the resorts will prepare an alpine resort master plan ensuring their environmental values are protected and providing the commercial sector greater certainty about the resorts' long-term directions.
In 2011, the resorts were visited by more than 1.2 million people, contributed $570 million to Gross State Product and generated around 5,800 full-time equivalent jobs for winter alone.
Minister Smith said the alpine resort master plans would simplify planning and leasing decisions and allow high priority development opportunities to be identified through the Victorian Alpine Resorts Development Program, adding "we need to make sure that resort services and infrastructure are delivered efficiently and with appropriate levels of accountability. Investment opportunities need to be more co-ordinated and non-commercial activities will need to be reviewed."
The strategic plan proposes a new financial management framework for the alpine resorts to sustain their significant economic contribution to the State's economy and to their surrounding regions.
Activities such as horse riding, bush walking, road and mountain bike riding, fishing, festivals and events and even high-altitude training are set to become a non-winter feature under the new strategic plan.
Extensive public consultation was conducted as part of the development of the Alpine Resorts Strategic Plan. A total of 250 people participated in workshops in Melbourne and at the resorts, and 66 submissions were received which were considered during development of the strategy.
More information about the Alpine Resorts Strategic Plan 2012 is at;
http://www.dse.vic.gov.au
