Plans have been filed with the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning for an alpine glamping project in the state’s snowfields.
The Mount Hotham Resort Management Board has proposed the developer for the 5.8ha site at 26 Poo Farm Track, Hotham Heights.
Planners Mountain Planning filed the scheme with the state department on behalf of the board.
The site has a frontage to Great Alpine Road of 6km and is mostly vacant land with some native alpine vegetation.
An eco-village is proposed for the site with three snow domes, a large teepee for meals, a barbecue area, a small shop, a water tank and hot tub, and a composting toilet.
All the structures will be temporary and removable with platforms for the snow domes and teepee.
The site is zoned as Public Parks and Recreation and the board intends to argue that using the site, which is crown land, as an eco-village can be covered by the zoning.
“We submit the usage of the land for an eco-village by Mount Hotham Management Committee is supported by the provisions of the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 and therefore constitutes a Section 1 use pursuant to Clause 36.02-1,” the board said in its planning report submitted to the Victorian planning department.
“Additionally, we submit that use of the land as an eco-village is supported by the provisions of the Zone to provide commercial use where appropriate.”
Any guests to the site will need to park at the Wire Plain carpark 500m from the site and then be brought in by minibus.
The board proposes that recent upgrades to the Hotham Hub and Wire Plain carpark mean that there is no need to include carparking facilities at the site.
A Cultural Heritage Management Plan will be part of the final determination to be made by Victorian planning minister Sonya Kilkenny.
Development activity has increased in the Victorian snowfields in a bid to provide tourism accommodation and key worker accommodation.
