Great news for regional Victoria as lockdown ends for them and they get to go skiing again from Friday!
Lifts can turn from Friday too. We are waiting on details from the resorts what those would be. Buller just confirmed they plan to open up to 8 lifts – see more below.
As the webcam shows, the resorts had not given up: Hotham looks ready to open today, never mind Friday! Buller and Falls also hanging in.
Premier Daniel Andrews has announced lockdown restrictions will be lifted in regional Victoria from 11:59pm tomorrow night, with the exception of the Greater Shepparton region.
The five reasons to leave the home will be removed in regional Victoria. There will be no limit on the distance regional Victorians can travel from home, other than restrictions on entry to metropolitan Melbourne.
The Authorised Worker list will no longer apply in the regions, meaning most businesses and venues can reopen with capacity and density limits. Regional Victorians will return to the rule ‘if you can work from home, you should work from home’ but office workers will be able to return up to 25 per cent or up to 10 people, whichever is greater.
Businesses that are open in regional Victoria but are closed in Melbourne – such as restaurants or beauty services – must check the IDs of everyone they serve.
Don’t try and go from Melbourne! Given the clearly increasing risk coming from Melbourne, Victoria Police will significantly expand their operation along the metropolitan border to protect regional Victoria. Police will also be out in force in regional areas, conducting spot checks to ensure people from metropolitan Melbourne are not in the regionals are not unless for authorised reasons. The fine for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s directions is $5,452.
We are waiting on details as to which lifts will operate etc. and will update here as those become available. Can always go for a skin anyway – at least you can go to the snow now!
At least skeleton staffs have been retaind. For example, some local Level 3 and 4 instructors are ready to go at Falls
Negative tests in the previous 72 hours are a requirement. This is Buller’s statement:
From 11.59pm on Thursday 9 September, travel from regional Victoria (other than Greater Shepparton) to Mt Buller is permitted provided visitors have had a negative COVID test within the previous 72 hours. Children under 12 years not included. Must be able to show evidence of a negative test as condition of entry into ski field.
Update from Buller:
Mt Buller has a good Spring cover of up to 64cms snow on popular runs including Bourke Street, Shakey Knees, Little Buller Spur and the Summit and is quickly rallying in preparation to roll up to 8 lifts for the Spring reopening on Friday.
Buller Ski Lifts General Manager Laurie Blampied confirmed the ski area will soon be back in action, “We can’t wait to have regional Victorians back on the slopes on Friday morning. It’s wonderful news for our community to be open for business again and welcoming skiers and boarders back to the slopes for Spring.”
The instructor team at the Ski & Snowboard School are pulling out their blue jackets with private lessons available on demand at discounted rates of up to 25% off for the Spring reopening.
All visitors coming from regional Victoria must show a negative COVID test taken within the previous 72 hours of arrival at the resort in order to enter. Children under 12 years do not require a test. Visitors from metropolitan Melbourne and the Greater Shepparton area are not able to travel under the current health guidelines and will not be allowed entry.
Resort entry will be operating 24/7 to verify negative COVID tests and welcome staff and visitors back to the resort for Friday’s reopening.
