East Gippsland: Buchan Caves Reserves infrastructure still not rebuilt after Black Summer fires
Another East Gippsland tourism attraction is waiting for repairs following the Black Summer bushfires, and one business has taken its concerns to the Minister responsible.
The Buchan Caves Reserve has joined a growing list of East Gippsland tourism attractions awaiting rebuilds of key infrastructure following the Black Summer bushfires.
Gelantipy Hereford stud owners Paul and Judi Sykes also operate an accommodation facility used by school groups and construction workers.
They are frustrated at the lack of progress on repairing infrastructure at the Buchan Caves Reserve damaged in 2019-20 bushfires, plus issues with a bridge and swimming pool that predate the fires.
The Skyes’ wrote to Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, who oversees Parks Victoria, with their concerns at the caves reserves this month.
“We can hide behind bushfires, Covid and the likes, but life goes on,” Mr Sykes said.
“We believe we are positive people and try to look to the future constructively, however the Buchan Caves Reserve has been a disappointment of late.
“Any money that is generated from the reserve if you like goes into a central funding pool and doesn’t get redistributed in most cases.
“If it does it gets tied up with cultural heritage studies and God knows what else.
“There were issues at Buchan before the fires.
“They promise to get things all reopened and done, but in reality nothing happens.”
Buchan was one of the hardest hit areas in the Black Summer bushfires.
“We believe the management and reinstatement of essential infrastructure has been neglected,” Mr Sykes said.
“We know it is not our local (Parks Victoria) personnel.
“The controlling factors lie much higher.”
STATE GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
The reconstruction of a bridge in East Gippsland that was badly damaged in the Black Summer bushfires won’t start until 2023-24 in a move that has further angered MP Tim Bull.
The Thurra River bridge near Cann River, which leads to a popular camping ground and the Point Hicks lighthouse, has been out of action for nearly three years.
In response to concerns raised about delays by Cann River businesses, Orbost District Chamber of Commerce and Mr Bull, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning confirmed the bridge rebuild had been transferred to it “due to the complexity of the project”.
Cultural heritage and biodiversity planning activities were underway and tenders
would be called when engineering assessments were conducted.
Changes to the river bed and banks resulting from “recent flood events” meant new geotechnical and other assessments were required.
Mr Bull said technical challenges referred to by the department were “an excuse for the delays”.
“A very good bridge was built there 35 years ago and we have the bridge-building expertise to built it in a quicker time frame than four years,” he said.
“If it was a bridge over the Yarra it would’ve been started in weeks.
“It is time for the feeble excuses to stop and get on with the job.”
“We haven’t had a major flood since the fires and the Cann gets plenty of floods.”
EARLIER COVERAGE
East Gippsland tourism businesses are heading into another summer on the back foot with vital bridges and infrastructure not rebuilt following the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
Thurra River campground near Cann River will be off-limits to more than 200 visitors, with tenders not put out yet for a badly damaged bridge leading to the park.
The Cape Conran boat ramp upgrade is due to be finished in mid-December, but the Orbost-Marlo economy has already taken a hit due to its closure for the works.
“It really frightens us that it won’t be ready on time,” Orbost and District chamber of commerce president Garry Squires said.
“Parks Victoria’s record of delivering projects on time in this part of the world isn’t great.
“The boat ramp should have been done after Easter when things went quiet.
“We’ve already missed school holidays, we’re now going to miss Melbourne Cup weekend.”
The Point Hicks lighthouse, another major tourist attraction, is also off-limits with no bridge over the Thurra River.
Cann River bakery and coffee shop owner Todd Weibe said the town would sorely miss the major daily cash injection from tourists this summer.
“We haven’t had much of a season since 2018 really,” he said.
“2019 was a write off with the fires and then two years subsequent hindered by Covid.”
Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, who oversees Parks Victoria, has been contacted for comment.
Gippsland East MP Tim Bull said the lack of progress was “a disgrace”.
“The Premier (Daniel Andrews) said at a media conference in Bairnsdale at the height of the bushfire crisis three years ago ‘we will walk with you every step of the way in the recovery phase’,” he said.
“Where I develop a level of angst is that they don’t communicate with the public.”
Labor has not announced a candidate for Gippsland East for next month’s state election.
Cape Conran and Thurra River are among the biggest camping grounds in East Gippsland.
“The fact the cabins aren’t rebuilt means there are less people who can come to our area this summer and less money being spent at Marlo hotel, coffee shops and the supermarket in Orbost,” Mr Squires said.
“With no boardwalk it means there is one less thing people can do.
“What we’ve been trying to do over the years is get alternatives to fishing and swimming.”
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