Council Partnering on Traffic Issues
Published on 15 July 2022
Mansfield Shire Council is working closely with the Mt Buller Mt Stirling Resort Management to try to ease the traffic burden at the approach to the Alpine Resorts and ensure safe road access for those who live close by.
After two snow seasons heavily impacted by COVID-19, visitors are flocking to Victoria’s Alpine Resorts in record numbers to enjoy the snow. Mt Buller is the most popular resort in Victoria and welcomed 174,000 visitors to 10 July, which was nearly double the record breaking seasons of 2018 and 2019.
While good for tourism businesses in the region, the high level of traffic caused headaches for locals on Saturday 2 July when the road to Mirimbah was at a crawl from as far back as Pinnacle Valley. Many visitors were also unable to enter the resorts over the school holiday weekends after arriving without prebooking their resort entry.
Chief Executive Officer of Mt Buller Mt Stirling Mark Bennetts said that while additional car spaces have been added, a park’n’ride service bus introduced on weekends in July and August, and discounts offered for pre-booking online, many cars are arriving without a booking and have to be turned around on busy weekends.
“While skiers and boarders are increasingly used to booking in advance, many snowplayers coming for the first time just hop into their car and go, much like taking a trip to the beach,” said Mr Bennetts.
“The queue develops from about 10:30am on Saturday as the majority of snowplay visitors start to arrive. Many just arrive expecting to be able to come in, despite our efforts to advise people to pre-book a parking space. With support from Victoria Police, we’re having to walk the road checking if people have pre-paid, and turning around those who have not”.
Council called a meeting of the Traffic Liaison Committee so that local agencies, including Mt Buller Mt Stirling Resort Management representatives, Victoria Police and the Department of Transport, could put in place measures to avoid the same situation happening over coming weekends.
The Department of Transport accepted an invitation from Council to visit the site and consider possible solutions, such as an upgrade of infrastructure, including turnaround locations.
Mayor Cr James Tehan said he was pleased to see the partnership being formed to come to positive solutions for all.
“This road is a VicRoads asset but it has a major impact on our communities. We want the community at Sawmill Settlement to be able to go about their day-to-day lives safely and without disruption due to higher than usual visitation to the mountain,” said Cr Tehan.
“In addition, when people visit the region, we want them to have a great time and not be stuck in traffic. That’s why we’ve called everyone together to work on solving these issues.”
Always prebook entry to Mt Buller and Mt Stirling, and ensure you have printed your entry pass to avoid getting stuck in the queue. Go to mtbuller.com.au for more information about how to access the resorts.