Victorian High Country Huts Association
Our Charter
Our mission is to assist with the management, conservation and rebuilding of huts and associated structures in the High Country of Victoria in partnership with Parks Victoria and the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
The
2009 fires
January and February 2009 saw some of the worst fires in European history devastate Victorian communities, resulting in tragic loss of life and destruction of many homes. The most severly affected hut maintenance area was Marysville (Area 5) and confirmed losses are: Cambarville Village, Federation Link Road, Fifteen mile, Keppels, Nissen (2 huts), and Whisky Creek. With the need to rebuild communities, make tracks safe, and the onset of winter it may be some time before consideration can be given to replacing huts. The Association will work closely with local communities, land managers, Parks Victoria, and DSE, when the time is right to discuss such matters.
Parks Victoria is reviewing park management plans for the National Heritage Listed Alpine Country and eastern highlands including the Alpine, Baw Baw, Mount Buffalo, Errinundra and Snowy River national parks as well as the Avon Wilderness Park, Walhalla and adjacent historic areas.
A
project
specific website www.wePlan.parks.vic.gov.au
is available with a blog, social networking, user contributed
galleries and wiki functionality. The blog will enable anyone
who
is interested in the parks to contribute their thoughts, ideas and
opinions. A wiki, a document which allows many people to
collaborate on editing it, will be used to create the draft plan. Parks
Victoria has completed a table of contents and some base information
and the community can edit most of the plan. A series of Open Houses
will be held in mid 2009 at key locations in the planning area. The
Open House will provide people with an opportunity to ask planners and
rangers questions about the planning process and to provide feedback on
what they would like to see.
Parks
Victoria invites all members of the Victoria
High Country Huts Association to participate in the management planning
process through "wePlan Alpine".
It is time to take a fresh approach to park planning. Join us at
www.wePlan.parks.vic.gov.au
A Brief History
Our Association was founded in February 2003 in response to the bushfires which swept through the Victorian High Country from January 8th 2003. We can thank historian Dianne Carroll and author Fiona Magnussen for the spark that grew, as rapidly as the bushfires, into our Association.
Since
2003 more than 90 huts have been lost to fires
leaving
some 190 in need of ongoing care. The Huts Maintenance
Officers, along with caretaker groups, and our members maintain and
care for all huts. Some huts have had caretakers for many years and we
welcome their continuing support of our hut heritage.
We are
registered with Parks Victoria as a
“Friends Group”
and have affiliated with the “Friends Network” to
promote
our “hands on” work of hut maintenance.
Our Newsletter Echo from the Mountains is published four times a year
to keep members informed about work done and future activities.
The VHCHA is proud to play a part in preserving and maintaining our
High Country Heritage.
A Memorandum of Understanding between VHCHA and the Alpine District of Parks Victoria was signed by VHCHA and Parks Victoria on 29 September 2006 to ensure cooperation and community involvement in the ongoing protection of High County Huts.