Village ‘a bottomless pit’, warns Jim

JIM Crebbins has a soft spot for Bogong Village. The 82-year-old former physical education teacher first saw the village in 1970 when he was sent there by the Education Department to help set up the Bogong School Camp in several SEC buildings. He lived there for 10 years helping to run up to 20 camps a year for up to 50 kids from across Victoria. He loves the mountains so much he and his wife Meg still reside in Mount Beauty today. “I love Bogong but I’d never live there and no-one really wants to,” Mr Crebbins said. “I’ve seen the demise of every group that has tried to make a living at Bogong. “It’s a beautiful, wonderful place but there is no money to be made because so few tourists go there now – it’s too close to Falls Creek and too far from Mount Beauty." Parks Victoria, DELWP, Alpine Shire Council, and the alpine resort management were all touted as possibilities to take over the village. The Education Department was also mentioned because the Outdoor School Bogong is located there and whoever takes over must allow the school to continue. Its principal, Tony Keeble, is also a shire councillor. “They may be playing their card close to their chest, but it seemed to me that that no-one was enthusiastic about taking it – even if it was given away,” Mr Crebbins said. “No-one is saying ‘fantastic – we’ll take it on’ because it’s a real problem and that’s why AGL wants out. “It’s simply passed its use-by date and I think AGL is going to be left holding the bucket. “They had two solutions to the problem – hive it off to Parks, DEWLP, or the shire to look after, or put it in mothballs. “My feeling is that they will trim it back to the bare essentials because there is no alternative.” Mr Crebbins said the alpine resorts are desperate for worker accommodation – but only during winter. “Unless someone’s got deep pockets to take it on, or individuals were able to buy a house and build a new home or a condominium it might be viable, but under the present situation that’s not permissible,” he added. “It’s the same problem as with the chalet at Mount Buffalo. “Everyone loves the chalet: it’s old world, but it’s the cost of maintaining it and finding someone who can run it without losing money. “But, I think Buffalo has more chance of salvation than Bogong.” Mr Crebbins commended AGL’s frankness and for forming the AGL Hydro Community Dialogue Group. However, he hopes the shire council is not entertaining any ideas of taking on the village. “I will be very vocal as a ratepayer, because it is a bottomless pit,” he said.

Village ‘a bottomless pit’, warns Jim

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