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Parks Vic stumbles on Walhalla tracks

The Member for Eastern Victoria, Philip Davis, says Parks Victoria’s failure to keep walking tracks open at Walhalla is acting as a brake on recreational and tourist activity in the area.

By Kevin Balshaw - 15th December 2009 - Back to News

The Member for Eastern Victoria, Philip Davis, says Parks Victoria’s failure to keep walking tracks open at Walhalla is acting as a brake on recreational and tourist activity in the area.

Mr Davis said the deteriorating state of walking tracks was a letdown to the local community, tourism businesses and historical groups that had made a great effort over recent years to restore the heritage of Walhalla.

In view of their efforts, he told Parliament it was disappointing that recreational opportunities for visitors to Walhalla were being curtailed because of a lack of access to walking tracks linking key attractions in Walhalla and its surrounds.

Mr Davis said Parks Victoria had responsibility for the historic Walhalla area and the adjoining Baw Baw National Park, including maintenance of walking tracks.

"Yet its lack of diligence has closed the Tramline Walkway leading to the start of the walk into the Poverty Point Bridge and the Thomson River Tramway Walking Track," he said.

"Poverty Point Bridge was built around 1900 to supply timber to the Long Tunnel Mine and is a remarkable construction. It was restored in 1976 and these days provides a pedestrian connection over a steep gorge in the Thomson River.

"The walk I refer to connects the township with the Walhalla Goldfields Railway Station at the river via the tramline, and offers the unique experience for people to walk one way and return to the village by rail."

Mr Davis said he would like to see Parks Victoria apply itself more diligently to reopen the tracks.

In addition to facilitating a range of visitor experiences in the immediate Walhalla area, he said this would provide access for people wanting to complete the Australian Alps Walking Track from a starting point at Walhalla.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: kevin.balshaw@parliament.vic.gov.au

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