AN announcement today is expected to confirm the resurrection of commercial operations at the historic heritage-listed Mt Buffalo Chalet.
Parks Victoria and a commercial operator are this afternoon expected to announce a new partnership to breathe life into the iconic ‘Grand Old Dame’ of the North East.
For almost a century the imposing chalet - built in 1910 by the Victorian Government for £3195 - was the crowning jewel of Victoria’s high country, accommodating generations of visitors.
But it has sat idle since its closure by a private leasee in 2007, after having survived the threat of bushfires which destroyed the nearby Cresta Valley ski lodge in 2006.
Concerted efforts since then by the local community to see it revived saw federal and state governments jointly commit millions of dollars to help restore one of Australia’s largest timber building back to its former glory.
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Between 2015 and 2018 the Victorian Government invested $2.8 million to conserve and protect the chalet’s front facade and foundations, with Parks Victoria also undertaking an annual maintenance program of the chalet and surrounding garden.
However, efforts by the state government in the last couple of years to re-open part of the chalet as a day centre with a cafe were thwarted by the absence of any willing operators.
Over the past year a $3 million investment by the Australian Government has been helping conserve the façade of the sprawling chalet and keep it wind and water-tight amid the alpine conditions.
Works have repaired the chalet’s ageing timber façade, with the building repainted, some timber stumps replaced, and improvements made to water drainage around the building.
Now, with a seemingly new lease on life, it is hoped that a new venture can make the chalet not just an ornament of the past, but a viable and accessible tourism asset well into the future.
