Forum on the future of skiing

[Vet]

The dept of Sustainability are reviewing their 2020 Strategy. "share your views on the future of the Victorian alpine resorts and join a workshop to identify key trends and issues ...and how the new strategy can address these issues'. Workshops are held

Melb: College of Surgeons 250-290 spring Street 1st June 6.30-8.30pm;
Hotham General Store 15 June 3-5 pm;
FC at St Falls, 16 June 2-4 pm
Buller at the Chalet, 17 June 2-4pm
Baw Baw, 20/6/2010 1-3pm at the Village Central conference room;
Narbethong 23 June 2-4pm at the Black Spur Inn. "

Frankly, Minister Gavin Jennings wrote a long letter about trends, such as people skiing o/seas for less, and yet govt site rentals on affordable lodges are reputedly going up 10x because DSE assume the rent would be that high if someone built a palace on it for backpackers



(Or write to your MP).

[Paul Oberin]

Workshops like that tend to have the key people listen and only hear what they want too, and they ignore everything that is not what they want to hear. We all know that the trend is to ski less in Australia and more overseas due simply to the cost difference.

[sam]

Minister, I'm going to the ski travel Expo with Sir Humphrey Appleby.:rolleyes:

[Bogong]

You've got it right Paul. I live 2 km from the Melbourne meeting and I'm vitally concerned about the ski industry, especially about:

- Increasing site rental costs even more when they are already sending many clubs and commercial enterprises out of business
- Making ski resorts attractive and viable summer destinations.

But why should I bother going? We know that the outcome has been decided in advance by bureaucrats backed up by "consultants" who are mates of whichever political party is in power. The little man or woman has no effect on these things whatsoever.

The last time anyone took notice of the people who actually have a stake in the ski resorts was during the Buller ratepayers strike 20 years ago.

[Vet]

I wonder how much taxpayers will be paying for these bureaucrats to visit the snow after opening weekend?

I recall media reports about a deputy premier's weekend costing $9000 largely because of his wine bill and fine dining.

[Mizu Kuma]

isn't Kevin Rudd, Peter Garret and Anna Bligh gonna do separate flights over the top of it, as well?

[Vet]

Kevin supports mining. Everytime I walk past Chairman Rudd's office he's muttering 'mine, all mine".

[Mizu Kuma]

yeah but when he's havin lunch on a plane he says "snow, snow,snow this is what I ordered, snot that"

[Crystal]

Well if you don't stand up and try to get heard then don't bother winging is what I think. It may well be a waste of time but at least you'll feel better after saying your bit.

[Paul Oberin]

Well if you don't stand up and try to get heard then don't bother winging is what I think. It may well be a waste of time but at least you'll feel better after saying your bit.No you don't, you just feel angry for thinking you wasted your time when the result was known and agreed upon even before you went.
These government agencies have a budget to spend and have to be seen to involving the public, but in reality they make up their own mind regardless of what the public want. I have been to these sort of things in the past and had my say, it is a total waste of time.

[sam]

I agree with Paul. In the review retirement villages the government ruled out probity checks even though the likes of Mr. Gatto attended meetings of shareholders and despite a report by a professor of motorcycle clubs investing in villages. The bureaucrats response,paraphrased, was there is no need for probity checks because crooks were in Queensland. Unfortunately the Queenslanders weren't happy with investing just in Queensland. And there is a receivership involving about $280 million in a property deal gone wrong under a fellow who has appeared on the front pages of the newspapers for decades. Go figure how our taxes are at work?

[The Wang]

No you don't, you just feel angry for thinking you wasted your time when the result was known and agreed upon even before you went.
These government agencies have a budget to spend and have to be seen to involving the public, but in reality they make up their own mind regardless of what the public want. I have been to these sort of things in the past and had my say, it is a total waste of time.

You may be right but if everyone gives up and lets things go as they are then nothing will ever change

[Mizu Kuma]

You may be right but if everyone gives up and lets things go as they are then nothing will ever change

yeah,
but the problem is that what it takes to get your point across inevitably ends with some kind of protest, and even riots, luckily the latter doesn't rear it ugly head very often in Australia!
I'm a firm believer in Karma, and the people that make decisions that are for their own benefit, and not the will of the people, will eventually bare the brunt of some form of retribution!

[Vet]

Bring a rope to the Narbethong Pub. Teckel might know a good use for it!

[SnowFlake]

Yes I have attended many such community gatherings but they are usually hijacked by those with own agendas never mind the larger common good. It seems apt to say the problem is 'because of the evil present in the good' (from an allegorical essay by Jaiyant Cavale on the downfall of the Gothic hero). The saving grace is that the majority will do the right thing regardless of vested interests and what governments might like to think they influence.

[Crystal]

i can understand the frustration...but if enough of you get up there and say your piece won't it make you feel better

[Vet]

Its more productive to stay at the office and make money to pay taxes and leave something in the pay packet to lavish on the new 25% excise on green petrol/ethanol, land tax, inflationary prices, bank fees, interest rates, and that o/seas ski holiday. Better save up too to help Mr swann pay the $1m bill for that motel because, according to an ex judge on the refugee panel, they were directed to overturn findings the applicants weren't genuine refugees.

[Henry91]

Why don't we make this a nicer thread and talk about the future of skiing itself!!!

Personally i think freestyle skiing is going to continue to explode with skateboarding being a huge influence! you can see it already has with heaps of different features in parks as well as a lot of street skiing going down.

in the backcountry i reckon the next big advancment will come from new technologies or refined technologies, faster cat skiing, cheaper heli-skiing...who knows!:D

[Vet]

the trends in the Ministwr's long letter basically say 'omg they're are going o/seas coz its cheaper'. In the same breath he talks about 'user pays govt costs (with whatever isn't taxed in the pay packet)' and raising the new hiked up government rents.

Making skiing, cat skiing etc more affordable just isn't on the bureaucrat's agenda. Expanding the experience isn't on their green minds either.

[Henry91]

Making skiing, cat skiing etc more affordable just isn't on the bureaucrat's agenda. Expanding the experience isn't on their green minds either.

thats because they are boring old fat men whose idea of a good time is to argue with other boring old fat men, a lifestyle that everyone should strive to achieve!!! ahaha

[Paul Oberin]

At the moment quite a lot of countries are trying to ban Heliskiing and Snowmobiling as it spoils the environment, Cat skiing will be seen as the same problem. Skateboarding has influenced Snowboarding in the past, but I have seen a huge drop in people Skateboarding and there is a drop in Snowboarding as younger people are turning to twin tip skis and using them in the park.
Alpine touring is seeing a huge leap in numbers taking part, it was up close to 50% in the USA this past season.

[Vet]

I hope that's so with alpine touring because there's a course underway to train budding eco tourism people in a range of issues affecting snow campers. besides, my blizzard IQ system means I can swap bindings to a.t bindings with as flick.

[Mizu Kuma]

Why don't we make this a nicer thread and talk about the future of skiing itself!!!

Personally i think freestyle skiing is going to continue to explode with skateboarding being a huge influence! you can see it already has with heaps of different features in parks as well as a lot of street skiing going down.

in the backcountry i reckon the next big advancment will come from new technologies or refined technologies, faster cat skiing, cheaper heli-skiing...who knows!:D

Snowatch is your "oyster", Henry91, I like ya positive attitude, and agree with ya, if Skiing and Boarding continue to progress, more people will want to get involved, hence the money makers and decision makers will have to create the facilities in order to cope with demand! Things like the Bagjump at Thredbo is a step in the right direction, more terrain opened up as well as the likes of cat skiing....."Keep it Fresh"

[Henry91]

Hell Yeah! the Bagjump is going to be sooo sick, im going to be in Thredbo in July so i will deffinatly be hitting that, I think the way hotham does catskiing for free is a good direction, helps accomodate those who want to go alpine touring. and us students who couldnt afford it otherwise... hehe :D

To Paul Obrein "I have seen a huge drop in people Skateboarding and there is a drop in Snowboarding as younger people are turning to twin tip skis and using them in the park." I don't know where you are but the increase in skating around australia is huge! The sport in general is becoming wayyy more creative and artistic and consequently is far more exciting and interesting, but yer i deffinatly agree with the increase in twin tip skiing