Falls Creek to Mt Hotham Alpine Crossing

[Lophophaps]

From http://forums.ski.com.au/xf/threads/fal ... 39/page-19
CaptainC advises:
The VNPA sent out this message to their members today

Concern is growing that the Andrews Government’s plans to develop the visitor economy is driving poorly conceived projects in national parks.
The latest is the release of the Draft Master Plan for the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing in the Alpine National Park. The proposal for developing this high-end walk with luxury accommodation fails on a number of counts:
31 new buildings are proposed for the Alpine National Park - 21 luxury huts and 10 large group shelters.
Multiple beds are already vacant in the adjacent alpine resorts.

Private tour operators will be given preference over limited campsite and cabin bookings.
It is dangerous/unsafe.
It is the wrong way to allocate scarce park funding.
Information in the draft master plan for the walk is inaccurate and often contradictory.
There has been no ecological or environmental assessment of the draft proposal.
We will be opposing the proposal outlined in the draft master plan for the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing.


HAVE YOUR SAY
Please tell Parks Victoria what you think of the proposal. Submissions are due by COB Friday, 27 January 2017.
We have provided more detail about why we oppose the plans on our website, and in our Falls to Hotham fact sheet. Please share this information among friends and family who care about our parks.
You can email your comments to FHAC@parks.vic.gov.au or fill in an online form on the Parks Victoria website, where you can also download the draft master plan.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Opposing this proposed development inside the Alpine National Park is just one small part of our important work to ensure national parks and natural places are protected for future generations.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Victorian National Parks Association.
Donate now »

Yours truly,
Matt Ruchel
Executive Director

*** ends

On 12 January I asked the Minister about the matter:
Parks Victoria has an undated document "Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing ... Consultation Phase 1 - What we've heard about the preliminary concept." Page three says:
"An environmental risk assessment is also being completed as part of the development of the master plan ... The final risk assessment will be made available to the public when the draft master plan is released."

Could you please arrange for the environmental risk assessment and business case to be made available, and for a reasonable amount of time after this for interested people to consider them? Until the environmental risk assessment and business case are available, the deadline for submissions should be extended. Could you please arrange this?

*** ends

There has been no reply. There are now reasons that the Auditor General and Ombudsman should be apprised of the matter. Apart from the dreadful DMP, not having an ERA as promised will lead to more wasted public funds.

Note that submission are required by 27 January, the Friday of what for many will be a four day weekend. Nice timing. My submission is ready and will probably be submitted on Wednesday 25 January.

[Xplora]

Late submissions will be accepted. Not sure how late though. With the late entry of VNPA and the subsequent media coverage there are many more finding out about this. People I know are commenting to me as if it is has just come out but they are only quoting media sources. More time is needed but I am doing my final edit now.

[neilmny]

Received this from Bushwalking Victoria just now http://us12.campaign-archive2.com/?u=85 ... c948bb69e6
Seems momentum to have this insane "iconic" walk and infrastructure is building on many fronts at last.
Previously https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B89NpE ... YzOHM/view

[Lophophaps]

Neil, thanks for that. I've very belatedly realised that not many people know about the DMP and FHAC. Anyone visiting any Victorian hut could write in the log books about the proposal. Main points:
1 It will be necessary to book and pay at long-established free campsites.
2 Camping will be banned within 100 metres of Federation Hut.
3 The lodges are contrary to the Conservation zone rules and will destroy the locales.
4 PV expects half of our numbers to go elsewhere.
5 The business case is apalling. My figures show a loss over 10 years of up to $50-60 million. (Unlike the DMP I include real use figures and all expenditure.)

There's a heap more. It seems to me unimportant if a few points are missed in submission. In general, we will all be saying similar things, and the collective impact should work. I've seen two other submissions, both long like mine. The styles and information are quite different. What comes across is the passion. It was a mix of facts, tight reasoning and passion that halted the Mt Stirling ski resort plans perhaps 20 years ago.

[Xplora]

I have been doing some calculations based on the projected growth in the next 10 years. The walker nights target is 65500. Divide by 4 (nights) to get the number of people walking the track each year - 16375. The expected walking season according to the plan is 8 months from Sept to April or 242 days so 16375/242 is 67.66 people starting this walk every day for 8 months. That is 7.66 more than they will allow on each section of the track at any time which means there would be no chance any other person would be allowed to set foot on it. Can you imagine that many people starting the first leg at Heathy Spur for what will be a 20km walk?

Now using the camping platform graph on page 89 a clear pattern of seasonal use can be established which would in fact translate to be similar in percentage with growth over time. 75% of people walk between Nov and March. Roughly 17.4% in Dec and about 16% in Feb and March. This would equate to around 92 people starting the walk every single day in December and 84 in Feb and March. Accommodation at the 'nodes' would not cope, especially the Cope node (sorry).

I do not believe for one minute they would achieve their projected figure but it shows how this plan has been falsely marketed to make it look profitable without doing any real math.

[Lophophaps]

Explora, good maths. I came to a similar conclusion, but while attempting to review the DMP and the Greater Alpine National Parks Management Plan the figures were forgotten. Will you be including your figures in your submission?

Page 88:
"To this end, other walking products (sic) impose limits on the number of walkers embarking daily. The Overland Track has a limit of 60 and Three Capes 48. The Milford Track has a limit of 90 per day."

The reference to 60 people is also on page 88:
"For example, if is (sic) desired to limit the number of walkers to 60 on each of the five segments of the trail, the number of camping permits at each of the four camping nodes may be limited to this number."

Page 100:
"The number of permits issued daily is 240 and for any of the 4 (sic) overnight nodes on any given day there is a cap of 60".

It's hard to estimate how many people camp at the so-called nodes without doing the FHAC. At weekends it could be 10-100 people, putting more stress on the campsites and going way over the 60 people a day limit cited. A PV staffer will be needed to direct traffic. Ambience will be gone.

In the long term, I'm tending towards civil disobedience. camp where we always have, don't pay any fees. Let PV take us to court and look mean. Show that those in the lower socio-economic area are being given a rough time, being asked to pay outrageous fees that are beyond their means. Make PV look mean.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

PV have never policed the platforms at Dibbins hut. That infrastructure was part of the present FHAC scheme ,which has not hit the jackpot at all.
I can see myself carrying on as per usual without much anxiety about being apprehended sans permit . I don't want to pay to camp on a platform anyway.
If we must we can have a coordinated mass ' we won't pay' camp in at Fed. hut and see if they can arrest us all.
If building of huts does commence on the top of the Diamantina spur then more civil disobedience will be required.
One person on ski dot com commented that such huts may mysteriously burn down. That would be a real shame ;-P . Ha ha ha ha.

[north-north-west]

One person on ski dot com commented that such huts may mysteriously burn down. That would be a real shame ;-P . Ha ha ha ha.

While I sympathise with the ideal behind the sentiment, that is not a good area to risk a fire getting loose.

[Lophophaps]

Much as I detest the new huts, let them be and see what happens. If as most have predicted the 15,000 walkers a year do not come to the FHAC then we are vindicated. If there's a few rescues or punters have to turn back, disgruntled, we are vindicated. If the costs are higher and the income is lower than cited in the DMP, we are vindicated. If the entire fiasco falls in a big heap we are vindicated. Then if a bushfire comes through we are happy.

For now my slogan emphasises the dangers and assciates a resort with this foolishness. use it in log books everywhere - See Hotham and die. I sincerely hope that there are no deaths, but if Hotham's reputation takes a hit maybe they will back off.

[peregrinator]

One person on ski dot com commented that such huts may mysteriously burn down. That would be a real shame ;-P . Ha ha ha ha.

While I sympathise with the ideal behind the sentiment, that is not a good area to risk a fire getting loose.

Quite so. And the motivation for the crime might not be seen as all that mysterious.

[Lophophaps]

I asked about the Environmental Risk Assessment that was meant to be with the DMP. No reply from the Minister. Unless there's an extension due to no ERA, my submission is going in tomorrow, two days before the 27 January deadline. If sending by email, the fact that it has been sent can be taken to being received. See section 13A of the Electronic Transactions (Victoria) Act 2000. Most states and territories have similar Acts.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I will print my submission out tomorrow and snail mail it by reg. post as well as e mail it. My submission is over 7,000 words long and it is ready after working on it for at least a week .

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Job done, My submission was sent by snail mail and email today. I used express post. I hope PV read it and weep.The battle rages on !.

[Snowzone]

I have just finished and sent my submission in. I encourage everyone else to get one in as well. Numbers Speak.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

If the wise apes expect user pays walkers to walk up Heathy Spur in early September then snow shoes and poles with snow baskets at very least would be necessary. Snow camping tents, snow pegs and so on would be useful too. I took two people with me and we went up Heathy spur from Windy corner and out to Edmondson's hut on the first weekend in September. It was a deep snow cover trip in snow shoes and we snow camped at Ed. hut.In the all white conditions I was navigating with a compass the whole way. How can the "Ka Ching walking season" for cashed up newbies start from September? The BHP road didn't open until late 2016!!.
Imagine cashed up user pays walkers trying to slog it up the Diamantina spur in snow and ice in early September. The spur is Easterly facing so it has some deep snow drifts higher up. It is almost technical is some short steep parts if it is icy.For experienced outdoors people, it is still challenging but for new inexperienced people who want to ' tick it off their list'
........
This is C R A Z Y !.

[scroggin]

Is there much social media uproar for this proposal, Facebook page or Twitter hastag trending thingos? Obviously dont use it myself but a lot of news oulets use it to determine what's newsworthy. I propose the hashtag #fightFHAC, was going to use another f word but this is a bit more family friendly and rhymes with fight back. Come on millenials lets get this trending.

[Lophophaps]

My approach has been to destroy the credibility of McGregor Coxall, and I think that this has been done. Then I've analysed the numbers, and have used better numbers as a stress test. I've added things that McGregor Coxall did not include, like PV staff costs, the Bogong High Plains Road, toilets, and others. I've shown how the DMP is dangerous and breaches the zones.

While social media has a place, the remit of PV is confined to the submissions. Next week is a good time to bump social media and the newspapers. My figures show $60 million lost, and that's a nice hook for an article. As mentioned above, write in log books, let people know. Apply a blow torch to Hotham's reputation - see Hotham and die. This is not as snappy as It's time or No dams, but it will do and I cannot think of anything else.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

My Submission also has used over 7, 000 words of facts and reason to make a mockery of the DMP.
If they ignore it totally then we need to enact stage two of the resistance.
If PV builds the new death star then the Empire will become stronger , but they do not know that the force is strong inside me.

I would still say fewer people who like bush walking, snow shoe walking and skiing in the said area know about this proposed scheme than those who already aware of it and are cross about it.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I just returned from Walking this route over 3 days and 2 nights.
Howman's gap/ Rocky Valley Creek/ Spion Kopje/ Mt Nelse West (1893 M), Mt Nelse South/ Fitzgerald's hut
Day 2. Fitzgerald Hut/Kelly Hut / Marum Pt. track/ AAWT via the aquaducts to Langford Gap hut ,Wallaces hut, Rover chalet, Cope hut, Cope Saddle hut and camping at Ryder's huts.
Day 3 Ryder's huts/ Cope Saddle hut/ Pretty Valley Hut/ Mt McKay summit hut/ Road 24 back to Howman's gap.
I pasted/glued a typed notice about the DMP into every log book in every Hut Log book I could find.
I will do a major trip report on this 55 km trek soon.
The weather was good and there were a squillion flies!.

[neilmny]

I just returned from Walking this route over 3 days and 2 nights.
Howman's gap/ Rocky Valley Creek/ Spion Kopje/ Mt Nelse West (1893 M), Mt Nelse South/ Fitzgerald's hut
Day 2. Fitzgerald Hut/Kelly Hut / Marum Pt. track/ AAWT via the aquaducts to Wallaces hut, Rover chalet, Cope hut, Cope Saddle hut and camping at Ryder's huts.
Day 3 Ryder's huts/ Cope Saddle hut/ Pretty Valley Hut/ Mt McKay summit hut/ Road 24 back to Howman's gap.
I pasted a typed notice about the DMP in every log book in every Hut Log book I could find.
I will do a major trip report on this 55 km trek soon.
The weather was good and there were a squillion flies!.

all round PCV....err except maybe the flies

[Lophophaps]

In the last week I've become aware of a few developments.

I have it on very good authority that the resorts and especially Mt Hotham are pushing for the FHAC. As most of us are aware, climate change is making it harder for alpine resorts to survive as viable ski destinations. The lower resorts of Lake Mountain, Baw Baw and St Gwinear are now quite marginal, millions of dollars of infrastructure that is increasingly unused. Climate change means that there can be very heavy rain that washes away snow.

It seems that the FHAC is seen as a panacea to offset shorter and less reliable ski seasons. The thinking appears to be that the FHAC walkers will add to resort income. This is wistful, and in any case the winter spending is much more than that of even the grossly exaggerated FHAC estimate, 1000 times from memory. Whatever the figures, most of the FHAC spending will not be at resorts.

It also seems that the added attraction of wild skiing on The Razorback is viewed by Hotham as drawing in the numbers. Certainly remote skiing is nice, but I see no need to compromise a Conservation zone. Places like the Bogong High Plains and Feathertop should be left as they are, not modified with ghastly infrastructure. Some people talk of conquering a mountain. Bollocks. Mountains are not conquered. We climb them by grace of good stamina, tenacity, experience and kind weather. I refuse to bring the mountains down to my puny level.

Don't believe the view that the FHAC is a small part of the ANP and hence has minimum impact. If there were fences every 20 kilometres across the Hume Freeway this would be about 0.00005% of the freeway area. Not much, but traffic would be affected a little more than 0.00005%.

The FHAC is contrived. I hinted at this in my submission but did not identify it. I doubt that many parties start from Falls Creek bound for Westons Hut and Diamantina Spur by going up Heathy Spur. The sane way is from Pretty Valley. Most walkers could go Pretty Valley to Jaithmathang then Westons or Blairs for the night, and the next day up Diamantina and down the Bungalow or across The Razorback. Or take a more leisurely three days.

Another option is up Machinery Spur.

While it was in mind, I forgot to mention young people and those yet born. Part of a poem:
I'm only a boy from the bush near Fitzroy,
And I don't understand people's games.
But I just want to know where our children will go,
When none of our bushland remains.

It very much seems that hardly any bushwalkers know about the FHAC. Many expressed disbelief, and others thought that Parks Victoria can be trusted. It's therefore quite important to write in every log book in every hut about this issue. Which mountain will be next? There's some words a few posts above from PCV. Don't forget the slogan – See Hotham and die. We need to make this a very unattractive proposition for the resorts.

PV are doing the best they can, but when it is decided at Ministerial level to have this absurd “icon walk” then it's hard for PV to fight it. Word is that local staff don't like the FHAC, but of course they cannot express this view.

My submission centred on making McGregor Coxall look foolish (quite easy) and attacking the woeful economic figures and logic.

Now that the submission has been sent, there's a few more things that need to be done to get answers, and these can now be pursued.

[Xplora]

The is a discussion paper, just released, called the Alpine Resorts Governance reform which deals with the need to change the resort management structure and well as climate change. Some mention in it about increasing the green season activities. Falls Creek is pushing cycling hard now. It is also interesting to note the amount of money Hotham and Falls contribute to local economies and the Alpine shire. I would suggest the many other activities in the area would provide better for local economies than this venture. The document does not look good for Alpine resorts unless they can adapt. The report also identifies significant problems with resorts currently not being too keen to move to green season activities. It talks about the attitude of resorts which are essentially still snow minded.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

LOPS, Very few people who are not in the VNPA or are rusted on bush walkers/ back country snow sports fiends who care about nature and preserving Nat. parks seem to know about this FHAC DMP. Some of the Maroondah and Dandenong Valley Bushwalking club people on the B.H.P. , just recently on my walk, knew about it and were not impressed.
I have always suspected that the two big ski resorts are behind this scheme and I have made many references in my long submission to PV, to Mt. Hotham resort and Falls Creek resort using the DMP as trojan horse for annexing their own backyards by way of incremental privatization and commercialization of what is protected under the Nat. parks act as a conservation zone. Falls Ck. is cycling mad at the moment and this can only increase. Mt Buller/Mt. Stirling has been flogging the green season cycling caper for some time now too.

Melb. is becoming increasingly built up , filled with freeways, horrid steel and glass towers and cubes that are not human friendly, in every suburb , congested, ugly and its aesthetic appeal is dwindling. So leaving our Nat. parks undeveloped is increasingly important so people can find somewhere where there is N O mobile ph. reception and has little sign of development . The Jagungal Wilderness in N.S.W . has this quality even more than the Bogong High Plains does.

[Lophophaps]

I was unaware of the report. it lives at
https://engage.vic.gov.au/alpine-resort ... governance
More reading!

I would have hoped that Bushwalking Victoria would have pushed the DMP issues hard and quickly. An email sent to all clubs giving the link and asking for this to be made known to club members is easy and could have been done within a day of the release of the DMP. Later there could be a BV summary of the contentious points. We got these points quickly, as did the ski dot com website.

The cycling aspect was another one I missed. Having hundreds of cyclists, staff, volunteers, friend and family in the region is a big economic input, far more than bushwalkers spend at Mount Jaithmathang. Also, having seen the place, would not many return?

[potato]

I was unaware of the report. it lives at
https://engage.vic.gov.au/alpine-resort ... governance
More reading!

Ah yes, look at that - discussions about autonomy. This naturally means more autonomy and then less environmental controls, which leads to more mountain bike trails in the resorts further dissecting the vegetation and soils. This means more entitled mountain bikers riding along the walking trails in the park areas when they are bored of the resorts. Then we'll see a push for formal mountain biking access along the walking trails in the park.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I missed the cycling angle in my submission too. These two wheeler people in green season in them thar hills seem to be more numerous than we bush walkers are.
The local towns in the area are ( pun intended) geared ( groan ;-P )towards these cyclists coming in large numbers and spending their schekels in the area.

However I don't like the idea of cyclists fanging it en masse where presently it is a walking only route.Cyclists and walkers share the route on the circuit hike in the Jagungal Wilderness. Some people from Jindabyne who I met at Wallaces hut last month were critical of how restrictive the NPWS are regarding bicycle access to the KNP.

[potato]

Yes KNP has its restrictions, but most management trails are open for cycling. No off track riding or riding on walking trails - which is good.

They could have been from Sydney where the population has pressured the NPWS into opening up parks for mountain bike riding. They have also formalised/rebuilt a number of illegal trails for riding.

In the bigger picture though, cyclists are an increasingly strong lobby pressuring the parks for access.

[Lophophaps]

PCV, your "geared towards cyclists" is groanworthy of the first order. We need a groan button. LOL, very good.

Potato, your advice about NSW is instructive, and perhaps we can learn from this. I have no objection to cyclists on suitable tracks, but not on pedestrian only tracks. The damage that bicycles cause can be significant. It may come down to a better cycling culture. That said, most riders are responsible. Maybe we should be approaching peak cycling bodies to voice our concerns.

PCV, do you like the "peak cycling bodies"? These are cyclists that ride up Mount Nelse, but not Mount Cope.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

LOPS , your pun is groan worthy too.
Mt. Nelse is situated along a well formed 4 WD fire trail. In Early October you don't see any cyclists out there (unless they are on so called Fat bikes ) because of the snow , mud and slush .
If a cyclist can cycle up Mt. Cope from the Cope East Aqua-duct track the let them try . There is no track up there from that side.
Horse riders are advised to fan out on the AAWT from Cope Hut to Cope Saddle hut. The same should apply to mountain bikers.

[Lophophaps]

For those traumatised by our puns and the DMP. a groan button:

Groan button.jpg (29.2 KiB) Viewed 40061 times