Hansard debates

                        ALPINE RESORTS (MANAGEMENT) BILL
                                 Second reading

  Mrs TEHAN (Minister for Conservation and Land Management) -- I move:
  That this bill be now read a second time.
During the last  sittings  of  this house I introduced legislation to reform the
management of Victoria's alpine resorts. I referred in my speech at that time to
the management history which had shaped the  development of the resorts, through
the  differing philosophies  of  the former SECV,  Lands Department and  Forests
Commission.

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From  1961  there  were  attempts  through  an  interdepartmental  committee  to
coordinate resorts development and in 1983 all the resorts  which  had  grown up
under the  management  of the various  agencies were brought together  under the
management of the Alpine Resorts Commission.
The assumption of the 1983 legislation was that sound development of the resorts
required a single management  focus.  As  I  indicated in my earlier speech, the
government  considers that the time for a single management structure has passed
and the larger  resorts are now in a position to be managed as separate entities
within  the  general  framework  of  legislation  which  recognises  the  unique
qualities of the resorts within the Crown estate.

In  introducing the bill,  I referred to  the  extensive consultation which  had
taken place over the future of the  resorts,  both through the independent panel
inquiry into  future uses  of Mount Stirling and the  work of  the review  teams
which reported to  me on  the resorts  in general. I believed that a substantial
consensus had been achieved on  the  then future directions of the resorts, but,
in light of the intense interest in  their  future, I announced the government's
intention that the bill lie over to allow stakeholders  to  study the management
structure set out in the bill.
During  the  parliamentary  recess I  have  received  a  substantial  number  of
submissions from a range of stakeholders  and have carefully considered  all the
issues  raised.  I  am pleased to say that the submissions  have  confirmed  the
widespread general  support  for the  proposed  reforms to which  I  referred in
introducing the bill.

A number of the matters raised related more to clarification  of  the  structure
than  to concerns with the proposal, or made suggestions about future management
actions.
The bill  which is before the house is substantially similar to its predecessor,
although  it incorporates a small number of changes resulting from consideration
during the  winter  recess. On the  advice  of my department  and  parliamentary
counsel, I decided that on the basis of clarity it was preferable to introduce a
new  bill which would  incorporate  those changes rather  than introduce them by
house amendment.
In introducing  the previous bill,  I  stressed the  government's  commitment to
retaining the alpine resorts within the Crown  estate because of the sensitivity
of the alpine environment. The previous bill provided  for  the  land within the
resorts to be temporarily reserved for the purpose of alpine resorts.

On  further  consideration, I have  decided to preserve  the  existing permanent
reservation  of  the  resorts  as  a   further  guarantee  of  the  government's
intentions. The bill therefore preserves the existing declaration of the resorts
under  the 1983  legislation  and  provides for  their  management  in  the  new
legislation.
I  also indicated in introducing the previous bill that no decision had yet been
taken on the  future management arrangements  for  the smaller resorts  of  Lake
Mountain, Mount Stirling and Mount Baw  Baw.  It  was  proposed  that the Alpine
Resorts Coordinating Council  become the management body for these three resorts
pending  that  decision.  It is now proposed that a separate management body  be
provided for each of  these  resorts, similar to that established for the larger
resorts.

A number of individuals and  organisations have indicated their  interest in the
future management of these areas and, although no decision has  yet  been taken,
it  is  now  considered  more  appropriate  that separate  management  bodies be
established.
During the consultation process a small boundary anomaly between Mount  Stirling
and Mount  Buller was identified which  would impede the effective separation of
their management. It is therefore  proposed   within   the   existing  permanent
reservation to make an adjustment to the boundary at the Delatite River. This is
identified by plan in the schedule to the bill.
Discussion has also taken place during the  recess on  the use of land bordering
the Falls Creek resort which  was largely contained in the past within the Kiewa
Crown grant held  by the SECV. The existing resort, as honourable members may be
aware, was itself formerly part of the Kiewa Crown grant.

Portions of the land bordering the resort have been subject  to  disturbance  as
part of the ongoing works of the SECV and its successor body, Southern Hydro. It
has been  decided that the most appropriate  use of the land is as alpine resort
and the  bill therefore  provides for the addition of land identified by plan in
the schedule to the bill.
In introducing the previous bill  I  referred  to  the  management of the alpine
environment through planning controls administered by my colleague, the Minister
for  Planning and  Local  Government.  I also  indicated  my  intention to  give
directions to resort
management under this act about environmental issues in the resorts. In order to
reinforce  this  intention,  a  provision  has  been added  to  the  legislation
conferring an obligation  on  resort management to carry out any functions in an
environmentally sound way.

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This will  mean that environmental considerations  will be taken into account in
any management decision,  in  addition to any  specific directions which  I  may
give.
In  common  with  other  honourable members I was deeply saddened by the  recent
disaster at Thredbo.  In  reviewing the  bill,  I considered it  important  that
explicit  provision  be  made for managing natural disasters  which  potentially
could affect alpine resorts,  as with any other area of the state. Fire  risk is
managed by agreement  between  the Fire Management  Branch of the Department  of
Natural Resources and Environment and the Country Fire Authority.
In a wider sense, the Emergency Management Act uses municipal  districts  as the
basic structure  for  the  preparation  of  emergency  planning,  and  the  bill
therefore deems  an alpine resort to be a municipal district for the purpose  of
preparing an emergency management plan.

The opportunity was also taken  to review other legislation to determine whether
similar  amendments were desirable. The bill  provides  for  application  within
alpine resorts of the EPA's waste management planning and reduction program.
The bill clarifies provisions over  the  grant  of licences in alpine resorts to
ensure that they are consistent with provisions of  the  Land  Act  and  further
provides   for  transitional  arrangements  for  staff  of  the  Alpine  Resorts
Commission. It also gives a power for resort management to enter into agreements
with neighbouring  public land managers to  provide for management of Nordic ski
trails which move across the boundaries of land tenures. This  provision mirrors
a provision in  the  1983 legislation and  ensures consistency of management  of
Nordic trails.
The  level of support for the reforms proposed in this legislation has been very
pleasing.

The implementation of the reforms following  the passage of  primary legislation
will  be  a  major task for the new  management  bodies.  I would like to put on
record my thanks  to  Peter  Howarth,  the Chief Executive Officer of the Alpine
Resorts Commission, who has played a major  role in planning for the transition.
I believe that although the workload for the  new  management  bodies during the
transitional  period  will  be  substantial,  their  efforts  will  be  strongly
supported  by stakeholders and the end result will  be  an  enhancement  of  the
tourism and environmental qualities of Victoria's alpine resorts.
I commend the bill to the house.
Debate adjourned on motion of Ms GARBUTT (Bundoora).
Debate adjourned until Thursday, 13 November.


  Mrs  TEHAN (Minister for  Conservation  and Land Management)  (By  leave) -- I
referred to a schedule in the Alpine  Resorts (Management) Bill. There should be
a  schedule,  but on looking at the  bill  I see it is  not  there. I bring that
matter to  the attention  of the house and undertake to ensure that the schedule
is attached to the bill in printed form.