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THE ALPINE
BRIGHT - POREPUNKAH - MT BEAUTY - TAWONGA - TAWONGA SOUTH Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Phone: (03) 5752 1058
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www.alpineobserver.com.au
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SCHOOL TURNS 150 BREAKFAST BEHEMOTHS MEMBERS of the Rotary Club of Bright were hard at work cooking breakfast before the Alpine Shire’s Australia Day celebrations in Bright last Thursday. Story page 4. PHOTO: Jean-Pierre Ronco
Holding their breath By BRODIE EVERIST FALLS Creek residents are nervously awaiting a decision over whether the Three Peaks Challenge, a major cycling event for the resort, will go ahead amid fears the Bogong landslide will not cleared in time for the March 12 event. According to Warren Sanders, director of operations for an accommodation business, locals have been holding out for the Three Peaks Challenge marking the end of landslide-enforced isolation, meaning cancellation of the event would be a “real blow to the local community”. “It’s what the locals are hanging onto at the moment,” he said. “We’ve got something to look forward to.” According to Mr Sanders, the bicycle event is the last major Falls
Resort residents R id fface uncertainty i y over bi bicycle y l challenge h ll g
Creek event before winter, and a big economic boost to the town. “A few thousand people can enter, plus their support crews and families that come up to watch and provide drinks and food along the way, so it definitely will have a big impact,” he said. After speaking with the Department of Transport and event organisers Bicycle Network, the Myrtleford Times/Alpine Observer was unable to confirm when the decision over the event would be made, or who is responsible for the decision. A spokesperson for Bicycle Network said they are waiting on the decision regarding the use of the Bogong High Plains Road and the conditions of its use. Lachlan Beckett, owner of an-
other Falls Creek accommodation business, said the weekend of the Three Peaks Challenge accounts for around a quarter of their summer revenue. “If the event is cancelled we lose a full wodge of bookings, and those bookings are at a premium rate because it is a very popular event,” he said. Lisa Logan, president of the Falls Creek Chamber of Commerce, said the event was important for the community and would provide some return to normality. “It will help us be more confident about the progress with the road and we can start to see a cashflow,” she said. In late December Department of Transport (DOT) regional director Steve Bowmaker said the landslide was on track to be cleared for single-
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lane access by March, but when contacted last week the department offered no date for the opening of the Bogong High Plains Road. “Weather conditions are hampering the progress of crews onsite,” Mr Bowmaker said. “One of the biggest challenges at present is the need to stop all excavation activities following rainfall which causes movement within the landslip. “Our absolute priority is the safety of crews, motorists and locals, with work to restore access to Bogong Village and the Falls Creek Resort only progressing when it is safe to do so.” According to the DOT, the major landslip along Bogong High Plains Road is approximately 100 metres wide, 70 metres high and still moving.
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Find a Kinder Program near you. There is still time to enrol for the 2023 kindergarten year. Find services offering approved kindergarten programs by scanning the QR code. Find out more at vic.gov.au/kinder