Gondola gets a website …

Update: The website address that was advised to all businesses is incorrect. The correct address is: http://www.mtbuffaloskyways.com.au/,  however, that website only went online today and contains very little information. Hopefully it’ll be kept up to date and become interactive – but there doesn’t seem to be any provision for that.

 

… well, not quite.

The Alpine council’s ‘Task Force’ investigating the feasibility of a multi-million dollar gondola for Mt Buffalo have established a website that was supposed to be up and running by last Thursday 28 January.  This is the address: www.mountbuffaloskyways.com.au.

Hmm, there seems to be a glitch … like, is the domain even registered yet? Apparently the site was to allow for business and community comment, so here’s mine: Get your act together!

Ablett bails out

The news that AFL Brownlow Medal winner and Geelong superstar Gary Ablett (Junior) has split from his long-term partner, Lauren Phillips, after 7 years together raises a number of questions, the main one being does this sudden display of disloyalty also suggest he’s about to accept the big dollars on offer to leave Geelong and head north to the new Gold Coast team at the end of this year?

Bright ain’t gonna go like Beechworth

Some people (i.e. the usual ‘suspects’) are objecting to this contemporary, architecturally designed 3-storey building proposed for Gavan Street, Bright, in the central business district. They claim it’s “too big” and that the height, scale and bulk will ruin the character and amenity of Bright.

Hmm, I wonder if these people have ever travelled as far afield as our neighbouring, rival tourist town of Beechworth, about 50 kms away? Beechworth sure has made a hash of things by letting all those tall and (now) heritage listed buildings be built over the past 150 years or so. Gee, they’ve destroyed the place. Have a look – we wouldn’t want Bright to go like this:

Be ‘Fire Ready’

Get dressed for action

Worried about bushfires? Not sure what to do on ‘Code Red’ days?

Well, stop worrying – this handy ‘Fire Kit’ (as advertised in this week’s Bright Observer) will get you through the most catastrophic conditions.

At just $240 this kit would make an ideal gift and perhaps should even be compulsory wearing on days of extreme and code red fire warnings.

You’ll be the envy of your neighbours as you patrol your yard looking out for any signs of an approaching fire. Just make sure you attach the chin strap so that your vented hard hat stays firmly on your coveralled head and that your fire goggles are tightened fast.

And I’m sure the 24″ bag will come in handy for something … like carrying your lunch?

We better not do this in Bright

The extremely popular tourist town of Daylesford seems to have lost none of its country charm & appeal by lining its main street with quite high buildings - for the past century or so !

Daylesford ruins its streetscape with tall buildings

The Rosedale project must be stopped …

I mean, we wouldn’t want Bright to become as successful as Daylesford, would we?

Hungry Jack’s, Albury

Where the burgers are flame grilled!

It’s been a bad week for nearby Albury.

Well, if you’re into take away hamburgers, that is.

First there was the deadly salmonella-flavoured mayonnaise sauce served by The Burger Bar in Dean Street, that infected over 100 people with many requiring hospitalisation.

Then, over the weekend, the local Hungry Jack’s store was destroyed by fire.

It looks like Maccas has now got Albury to itself.

No … not again!

Another code red day coming up?

I just heard on ABC Local Radio that the CFA might be issuing another Code Red Catastrophic fire warning for the north east region for tomorrow. I won’t say much at this stage until (and unless) it’s declared. We’ll know later this afternoon but from what I’ve heard of the weather forecast I can’t see that tomorrow will be any worse than last week’s ‘false alarm’. It’s not a good thing for tourism around here with an effective 4-day long weekend coming up.

Update: CFA backs off.

Friday is rated 'extreme' but the next 4 days are only rated 'very high'.

The CFA has downgraded its ‘Code Red Catastrophic’ warning for this area tomorrow to ‘Extreme’.

My guess is they were inundated with complaints from tourist operators, associations & Chambers of Commerce over the initial decision that would have had a huge and adverse impact on the Australia Day 4-day ‘long weekend’ by causing mass cancellations.

They really are acting in a knee-jerk fashion and it looks like this new warning system is not going to work.

Give up on the gondola

Mt Buffalo obsession is diverting our attention away from our real “Icon” ~

The beautiful town of Bright

The Alpine council’s Great Alpine Valleys Tourism Board (GAVTB) is to conduct a public consultation process over its proposal for a Gondola as a major tourist attraction at nearby Mt Buffalo. However, according to a report in the Bright Observer, progress on a viability study of the proposal has been slow, with mixed responses from local residents and business owners, which comes as no surprise to me:

It’s official … we’re ‘Code Red’

Update: I’ve just been interviewed by Channel Ten News, about the Code Red warning. Look for me tonight @ 5 pm – yikes!

But why?

Here is the “forecast” fire conditions from the CFA website:

However, looking at the Bureau’s weather forecast I’m surprised that a code red would be put in place:

Rosedale revisited

Update Wednesday 13 January: See update at foot of post.

Why on earth would anyone object to this?

The Alpine council has recently received a new planning application for the Rosedale site in Gavan Street, Bright.

Catastrophic confusion

Update: The CFA will decide @ 3pm whether or not to issue a ‘Code Red Catastrophic’ warning for the North East on Tuesday, but it looks very likely that they will issue one. I think it’s unwarranted and a knee-jerk reaction. Better to be safe than sorry? Dunno, they might be causing more problems than they solve. 

Tomorrow is a (possible) Code Red day for the north east ~ but is it an over-reaction?

While Victoria’s first code red catastrophic fire warning is in force in the Wimmera region in western Victoria today, it’s possible there’ll be one issued for this area (the north east) for tomorrow, Tuesday 12 January … but I hope not. With a cool change & showers due later in the day I seriously doubt the conditions will be anywhere near as bad as Black Saturday in February 2009.

We’ll soon know, but if there’s a ’catastrophic’ warning for this area then I think we’ll see a lot of confusion among our visitors. Certainly the impacts are already being felt in the Grampians and tourists towns like Halls Gap where tourists are clearing out ahead of any potential danger. And with messages like this one from the DSE, as reported by the ABC, it’s no wonder they’re leaving in droves:

Happy (wet) new year

From a very wet Bright. Rained heavily all night.

Anyway, welcome to 2010 – the last year of the decade, not the first.