The Lift the Alps Need

Ski lift (left) and summer activities (top) at Mt Buller (top) and a skier at Mt Hotham (above).

With a single board now in place to assist in managing all six of Victoria’s alpine resorts, Gwen Luscombe speaks with Ali Wastie, the newly appointed Chair of Alpine Resorts Victoria, for insight into the board’s direction, agenda and aspirations

From 1st October this year, the four management boards representing Victoria’s six alpine resorts (Falls Creek, Mount Baw Baw, Mount Buller, Mount Hotham, Mount Stirling and Lake Mountain), along with the former Alpine Resorts Co-ordinating Council (ARCC) were replaced by a single, government-appointed agency, Alpine Resorts Victoria. The move was two-fold; designed to provide an improved strategic leadership to grow the billion-dollar Victorian alpine sector and support its response to the impacts of climate change. While the decision was announced back in April, the original boards continued to operate until October this year to minimise any disruption to the 2022 snow season.

Following its inaugural meeting, Board Chair Ali Wastie - the Chief Executive of Bass Coast Shire Council and a board member at South Gippsland Hospital, Destination Phillip Island, Destination Gippsland and Bass Coast Country University – introduced the board, its direction and key areas of focus.

Accepting that Alpine Resorts Victoria has an ambitious list of tasks, Wastie explains that she and the board collectively are optimistic, declaring “a single unified board will be able to identify synergies across the six alpine resorts and better prioritise and coordinate advocacy and funding initiatives.”

She notes that the board “will allow for maximisation of planning and coordination efforts while maintaining and celebrating the unique aspects that each resort has.

“Establishing the Stakeholder Reference Committees for each of the six alpine resorts at Falls Creek, Mount Baw Baw, Mount Buller, Mount Hotham, Mount Stirling and Lake Mountain is an important task (with) expressions of interest for these committees already out.

“A subcommittee of the Board has been established and this will ensure stakeholder interests, concerns and ideas are tabled at each Board Meeting.”

Also on the agenda, Wastie explains, is “building relationships and connections with traditional owners, commercial and public sector entities at all levels of Government and individuals who have interests and passion for our alpine resorts.

“Since being appointed I have reached out to many people in the industry and have had several one-on-one meetings and meetings with our new Chief Executive, Amber Gardner.

“Having a strong background in economic development and tourism I have a good grasp of tourism-related issues.

“However, it is really important for me to build relationships and get across the issues that are facing each of the resorts and the alpine sector as a whole so I can be as effective as possible.”

Inaugural Chief Executive Gardner previously held the same role at the Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board and has spent the last 16 years in leadership roles within Victoria’s alpine and tourism sector.

Gardner is also currently Chair of the Ovens Murray Regional Partnership; a Director of Outdoors Victoria and Tourism North East; and a member of the Regional Development Advisory Committee and Victoria’s Economic Restart & Recovery Committee.

Wastie states “Amber’s deep experience in the alpine and tourism sectors, her extensive networks and her proven people leadership make her an ideal choice as our inaugural Chief Executive Officer.

“Amber has an excellent grasp of the strategic opportunities and challenges facing Alpine Resorts Victoria and she has a strong and compelling vision for the organisation and its future.”

Speaking of her appointment, Gardner said, “Victoria’s alpine resorts are unique nature-based tourism destinations and significant contributors to the State’s visitor economy. I have a long affiliation with these iconic attractions, so am delighted to take on (this) role.

“I look forward to working with the alpine industry to build the economic resilience of the sector and lead the resorts through their next phase of strategic growth.”

The board’s initiatives are expected to be further fostered by the additional board members including Deputy Chair Helen Moran with member experience on three alpine resort management boards and extensive experience in Victorian alpine tourism. They are also joined by existing alpine board members Julia Hunter and Michael Monester.

Also on the board are Natalie Ajay, current Director, communications and engagement at GOTAFE, non-executive director of Murray Regional Tourism Board and a member of IndiGrow. She is joined by south coast NSW Yuin man Daniel Miller, currently Chief Executive of the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation.

Also newly added, is Taungurung woman and co-founder and director of Yilam Pty Ltd, Kaley Nicholson, who’s also Chair of the Taungurung Land and Waters Council.

Nadia Jaworski is a partner on Infrastructure matters at PwC, and Peter Anderson is currently the Chief Executive of the Victorian Transport Association and the Victorian Waste Management Association.

Victorian Minister for Environment and Climate Action, Lily D’Ambrosio noted in a recent statement “this new board will provide the strategic leadership that Victoria’s alpine sector needs to deliver tourism growth and to manage the impacts of climate change.

“Victoria’s alpine resorts make an extraordinary contribution to our state and to our regional communities through their efforts to deliver long-term financial sustainability to the alpine sector.”

Together, stakeholders will aim to tackle a range of challenges including, according to Wastie, developing an understanding of the key challenges and opportunities for each specific resort.

Wastie continues “it goes without saying that 2020 and 2021 had a detrimental impact on the alpine and broader tourism sector. The 2022 ski season saw many people come back to the resorts and they were able to do that because of the resilience and commitment of all the people who work across the resorts. People also choose to come to the resorts because they love the Alpine environment and what it offers them.

“I have been coming to the resorts since I was a baby, and like me, many Victorians have strong affiliations and ties to our resorts. Of course, our resorts are on Country and the people with the deepest connections to Country are our traditional owners. I am looking forward to listening and learning from our two first nations board directors, Daniel Miller and Kaley Nicholson, all Traditional Owners and hearing from them on how together we can best care and look after the land that the Alpine Resorts are situated on.”

Also a priority is supporting marketing and resort product development initiatives. Likewise, is developing future-focused funding and operating designed to grow the green season, to be less reliant on Government support and considers global impacts such as climate change and transitioning to green energy as soon as possible to reduce emissions.

Also on Wastie’s to-do list, are creating a comprehensive asset management plan that’s implemented and financially supported and establishing and prioritising capital investment opportunities across the six resorts collectively.

Wastie is also committed to working with key partners to tackle big issues facing the tourism sector and regional Victoria such as climate change, unreliable snowfall that will continue to decrease resulting in shorter and potentially more sporadic snow seasons, shortage of key worker housing, health services, digital connectivity, transport and logistics.

Wastie concludes “the collective must be ensuring our resorts are welcoming and accessible to people from all backgrounds and abilities.” Gwen Luscombe is Director of the Ideas Library and a frequent contributor to Australasian Leisure Management on tourism, business events, technology and hospitality.

Victoria’s alpine resorts are Crown land reserves with Alpine Resorts Victoria responsible for vision and strategy, stakeholder engagement, governance, compliance, master planning, marketing, assets and the delivery of effective and efficient services including public facilities, roads, carparks, potable water, sewage, waste, recycling, ski patrol and medical services.

Ski fields, lifts, ski and snowboard schools and hire operations are undertaken by leaseholders including the Grollo Group owned Buller Ski Lifts and Vail Resorts at Mount Hotham and Falls Creek.

Alpine Resorts Victoria Board Chair Ali Wastie (opposite) and Mt Hotham (below).