Noel, I’m in favour of the gondola but it is NOT an infrastructure project that the Alpine council can or will undertake. The costs of it are out of their league and ultimately only private industry can make it happen. The task force they’ve established is only looking into the feasibility of it and, given who is on the task force, I wouldn’t be holding my breath waiting for it to get off the ground.

For the operators to simply reinforce what GAVT & council are already doing adds nothing to the gondola project and simply lets the Alpine council off the hook to get off its arse and implement other major infrastructure projects like CBD improvements, extensions to the railtrail etc.

The 40 or so operators have got blinkers on and have missed the point.

It’s early days in the process, but some forty tourism operators (mainly from Bright) took part in a tourism “think tank” at the Alpine Visitor Information Centre on Tuesday afternoon. A key question was “What major infrastructure tourism projects should the Alpine Shire be undertaking?” Straight off, the consensus was to get the Gondola started ASAP and I suspect the pressure will be on to ensure it doesn’t go off the radar.

There are going to be naysayers who will raise objections to this project, but these people tend to belong in the “bleeding heart” category and typically cannot build a cogent case which merits serious consideration.

Probably with a better margin than Sophie!
Boom tish

Getting back to the project, I see there’s already an anti-gondola letter in today’s paper. I might put it up later for critical review.

There are many visitors & locals who have no way at present to enjoy Buffalo – oldies don’t like mountain roads – and for them a Gondola with a cafe at the top would be a great way to overview the valleys and enjoy the local fauna. To them walking tracks and rock rambling are but distant memories!

Bright definitely needs another attraction (year round) to build on the visitor numbers coming here. Rumour has it that some accommodation houses & eateries have been doing it tough lately.

Hmmm same mob eh? ITM? Apparently didn’t do so well in Hong Kong, although that system seems to be working fine now.

Hi Mike. yes, you are spot on about the Cairns skyways. I think it’s the same company as down here too. But the key is in your final sentence: “assuming it’s what your community wants.” Unfortunately the local community has a long history of opposing anything that takes us forward. And it’s not always on altruistic or environmental grounds – it’s often got more to do with not wanting to share this area with others.

It works here, and should work down your way if done sensibly. Assuming of course it’s what your community wants

In my opinion Lee ‘Wally’ Rosser is nothing but an agitator and is not acting in this town’s best interests. And he has a real gall to go around stirring up all this media hype over a simple planning issue that WILL be resolved.

Don’t worry, Percy, Woolies will go ahead – and if Lee is thinking of organising boycotts when it opens he better think again. That would be asking for confrontation and I, for one, will certainly take him on.

Tell me Lee (or thru your avatar Wal) what mandate you have to speak for the residents of Bright many of whom will welcome Woolies as a competitive alternative to IGA? -and while you are at it tell us your qualifdications to achieve the keep the constructors honest pledge..

How much more convenient will it be if the newsagent relocates to one of the specialty shops. No need then to go up to the village as the Post Office is also down there. If this happens it will fit your vision for Bright (unchanged) and maybe you could get the National Trust to give Ireland Street a classiufication to ensure development takes place elsewhere.

Lets agree Lee (Wal) that I won’t be your spokesman on this issue if you will offer me the same courtesy. Perhaps it would have been more correct for you to have said ” A smallnumber od Bright residents are at loggerheads with Woolies but the majority could not care less”

This is not a personal attack, but a response to what I and a number of others regard as a misrepresentation of their views on an important issue by Mr Rosser on national television.