More water for Mt Buller

13 November 2019:  Work is underway on an exciting new project at Mt Buller that will add a 100 megalitre reservoir in the Boggy Creek/Summit ski area.  

This big undertaking adds 40 Olympic swimming pools worth of water providing potable water to the village over summer, increasing the local fire fighting capability and doubling the water available for snowmaking in winter.

Construction of the new reservoir is an $11.3m investment as part of Mt Buller’s climate adaptation strategy. Buller Ski Lifts is contributing a further $8 million in new snowmaking infrastructure to maximise the benefits to skiers and boarders from the additional water supply.

Mark Bennetts, CEO of the Resort Management Board explains, “The 2019 season was a reminder of how essential snowmaking is for bolstering natural snowfall and allowing guests to plan snow trips with confidence. So this critical piece of infrastructure is terrific news for everyone who lives, works, visits or invests in Mt Buller.  The new reservoir promises a bright future for the resort and the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come during summer and winter each year and contribute so much to the Mansfield, regional and Victorian economy”.

Buller Ski Lifts General Manager Laurie Blampied said, “Quite simply, more water means we can make more snow, which is great news for any skier or boarder as they make winter plans.  Buller Ski Lifts’ commitment to investing in more snowmaking is just one of the benefits of extra water supply.  The team are progressing plans for new snowmaking on Standard run, which will be operational for winter 2020”.

VIEW THE RESERVOIR TAKING SHAPE LIVE ON THE WEBCAM 

During construction this summer season the Summit Road above Arlberg will be closed to the public. Visitors can only access the Mt Buller summit via the southern approach of the Summit Nature walking trail.  The northern section of the Summit Nature loop (between Arlberg and the Summit car park) will be closed as it passes through the construction zone.

Visitors are advised to check the latest walk and bike maps for details and follow all signs in resort.  Access to Spurs (top of Northside Express chairlift) for the downhill mountain bike trails will not be impacted.

Preparation for this major project has been underway for several years to ensure appropriate planning, design and logistics ahead of the construction phase which is now underway.  The construction contract was awarded to Entracon following a public tender process. 

This summer will be another ambitious $30m construction season for Mt Buller continuing the ongoing commitment to “Making Buller even Better”.

Check back here over the summer for updates and check the live cams on the Mt Buller App.