The problem with the Australian ski industry is there's just too many fingers in the pie, and the pie is not big enough. All these boards should be eliminated, there should be "two" entities, the resort and the council, that's it.

Wow.....

Amazing what happens when someone actually makes a phone call....



& in the same article.....



Myth ??

Hackworth & Roy Morgan should be summarily sacked for fraud.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-n...l#ixzz1xM9IgYzV

Based on the lower number of $1550, if you have 5 days in a week then 1550/2/4*5 = $968.75 per person for essentials alone v.s. C.Hackworth's $945 for undisclosed goods and services.

Skidown's mob sold a smarter phone to Roy

Who are these board members and how can I get some action on this gravy train

Time for the kids to get jobs....

Trouble is,..... a week had 7 days last time I checked....

A week would therefore be $1356 per head.....

Hackworths numbers are only out by a measley 40 % odd...

I had to compare costs for students in Australia and New Zealand. Roughly $2500 ahead bought shared hotel accommodation in a four-star room, transport up and down the hill from Queenstown, and seasons passes, and that $2500 was for six weeks including peak season.

Victoria couldn't come close and there was too much bull and broken promises and delays and inaction.

the northern hemisphere was easy to deal with as well: overnight you got an answer in writing.

I can see why Logan-Bell says the government has to rein in some people.

I'm trying to understand the specific complaint about RMB's.
Is the problem that there are too many RMB's for the number of resorts?
Or that RMB's duplicate existing council etc bureaucracy?
Or that the actual RMB members are ineffective?


The Mt Buller and Mt Stirling Alpine Resort Management Board (ARMB) acts in a council-like capacity within the resorts of Mt Buller and Mt Stirling, providing essential services to the local community and overseeing public assets and infrastructure.

The ARMB is committed to:
Valuing staff and contractors;
Providing outstanding service to clients;
Continually striving for innovation and improvement;
Ensuring that the ARMB is seen as a cooperative, responsive, efficient and effective organisation which consults appropriately in carrying out its role;
Responsible environmental management practices;
Effectively discharging the powers entrusted under legislation and meeting statutory obligations and Government objectives relating to equal opportunity, occupational health
and safety, and standards of ethics and accountability.

Members of the Board are appointed by the Minister, and have the necessary administrative, managerial, financial, environmental, legal, marketing, sporting and tourism skills to run the Resorts competently. The Board consists of anywhere between three to seven people, who are appointed for a three year period and are eligible to be re-appointed.

The current board was appointed on 28 October 2011 and consists of the following members:

Jennifer Hutchison - Chairman
Jennifer was the Deputy Chairperson of Lake Mountain Alpine Resort Management Board. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) and a Diploma of Education. Her strengths lie in marketing, finance and governance, relationships, community engagement, industry and product development. Previous roles have included Chairman at the Australian Regional Tourism Network and Chief Executive Officer of Yarra Valley and The Dandenong's Marketing. She has also had strong community involvement in the not-for-profit sector.

Dean Belle - Deputy Chairman
With over 20 years of experience operating businesses and working in Alpine Resorts including Thredbo, Mt Buffalo and Mt Buller, Dean Belle brings a range of important skills and experience to this board. Dean has a business in Mansfield (The Mansfield Regional Produce Store), is a Shire Councillor, operates a small business consultancy and is a judge for the Victorian Tourism Awards. His tourism, hospitality and marketing experience, including two years as Assistant Manager for Buller Ski Lifts, along with an ongoing commitment to Mt Buller/Mt Stirling and the region is an asset to the board.

Bryce Moore
Bryce is part owner and a director of Moremac Property Group. Bryce has extensive property industry and management experience in the private and Government sectors. Prior to commencing his current business Bryce was Chief Operating Officer of Delfin Lend Lease and prior to that he was employed by the Victorian Government's Urban and Regional Land Corporation (now Vicurban). He brings with him to Mt Buller and Mt Stirling extensive experience working at senior management level in a government trading business and a strong understanding of the workings of Government
Bryce is a Division Councillor of Property Council of Australia (Victorian Division) and also brings extensive property, planning and development experience to the Board.
Bryce and his family are all keen skiers, he is a member and former director of Merrijig Ski Club.

W Richard Brooks
Richard has had diverse experience within the industry and commerce sector. He is currently the Managing Director of Tyne Solutions Pty Ltd, a provider of business and association management services. A keen Mt Buller skier, Richard is currently the President of the Ski Club of Victoria.

Lea Corbett B.SW, MPP
Lea is a management consultant and has extensive experience in governance, public policy, strategic planning and organisational change. She brings a background of more than thirteen years experience in senior management roles in Commonwealth and State governments where she has specialised in the areas of infrastructure, natural resources and regional development. Prior to resuming consultancy at the end of 2008 Lea was Executive Director, Infrastructure with Regional Development Victoria. She currently Chairs the ARMB's Remuneration Committee. Lea and her family enjoy Victoria's magnificent alpine environment year round - as keen skiers and bushwalkers both here and abroad.

Kathryn Brooks
Kathryn is a social research specialist and has a background in corporate affairs, marketing and business management. She has a wide range of experience in consulting to a range of stakeholders and has expertise in research analysis, strategic planning, network analysis and project management. Her specialisation is in social impact assessment, community networks and capacity, and government and community interactions. She is the Director of KAL Analysis and holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the Australian National University. Dr Brooks has a Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Sociology and a PhD (Sociology).

Michael Harding
Michael is an artist, business owner and teacher and has previously had roles in Aboriginal oral history, heritage, cultural heritage and education. He has had a number of leadership roles and is currently the Deputy Chairperson of the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council and also a board member of Native Title Services Victoria Board and Land Justice Group. He is a part-time art teacher at Monash University (Gippsland campus) and holds an Associate Diploma of Arts in Aboriginal Studies and an Advanced Certificate in Archaeological Site Management. Mr Harding has an Associate Diploma of Arts (Aboriginal Studies). Mick is the first traditional owner to be appointed to a Resort Management Board.

What is your specific defence of RMB's?

The public's perception that overseas is attainable for their ski holiday because numerous factors, including rents etc charged by resort management boards, basically put the total cost of a ski holiday in Australia out of their reach?

One of the major complaints is that they are appointed by the minister and not by an election like a governing body should be. Personally i would like to see them removed and their role passed to the local council. Ski resorts dont just affect what happens on the hill, they affect the local towns too so there should be representation for the whole area selected by local people and property owners.

Carbon Tax is going to make Australia V Overseas even more of an easier decision then it already is.

And the 10% GST on everything made skiing in Australia a lot more expensive too.

Its 2012 and we still don't have any gondolas down under? Many other countries have some gondolas in their ski areas. Anyway the high ski lift prices have sent me off to cross country, which I also enjoy and can do fairly well. So hello to the bring a packed lunch mob. I ski on classics with a nordic binding.

Only 3 of Buller's RMB identify as skiers!

B2S, the GST was an amalgamation of pre existing taxes reformed into one. The Carbon Tax is a completely new tax on top of the existing taxation system. However, that is a debate entirely in itself I reckon!!

But yes, Qantas..

I know. 7 days. Exactly.

It was my back-to-front way of "justifying" Mr Hackworth's average cost number, and hence highlighting how silly its appears to the average person who bothers to sniff the air at least once: His output is fishy, so something on the input side (a parameter definition or an input value) must be fishy. I went with re-defining units of time to force his data to fit the other data.

Can we get asylum seekers to staff our resorts for $5 ~ $10 an hour plus tips?

yeah! maybe, 'cause they're not meant to be here, we can pay 'em less, and keep them 'bonded' until they can pay off there debts to the 'owners' that were kind enough to take em on. meanwhile, us whiteys can enjoy skiing at the same cost 'cause you can be sure the slavery savings won't be passed on. you're name's not gerry or gina, per chance?

Rowdy, only partly correct, prior to the GST there was no Sales tax on "services". But since this is not a tax thread I'll stop here.

That's pretty much my beef as well. It's taxation without representation and also duplicating many functions already in place with the local shires.

Fair point, correction taken!

I agree.

Here's a question, when did all these RMBs come into place, what year ? And why ? Are there any other examples of this type of RMB structures used on other resorts in Australia, do they have any for the great barrier reef resorts ? Why only ski resorts ?

My understanding is that the resorts were originally under the Forests Commission, then the Alpine Resorts Commission before moving to the RMB model in the early 90's.

It's not just the RMBs, there is a whole other layer above them called the ARCC.

WOW ! Starting to get more of an understanding about it after reading this site - http://www.arcc.vic.gov.au/resorts.htm

Looks like a BIG fat corporation with to much middle management.

There's a perception that skiing in Australia is big business when in fact it's a small seasonal niche industry. Everyone around it seems to think that big cash is flying around when it's actually relatively tiny. All those years of glamorous marketing images are outdated and only the novelty value and powerful personal connections from over the decades remain. Yet most of the players seem to think there is almost limitless capacity in skiers' pockets to pay for arbitrary prices increases and new taxes and levies that add no value. Obviously those pockets are not bottomless and a new awareness of the product's comparative value in a world context has closed many of them off altogether.

Looks like the main resorts see the writing on the wall - hence the season pass price reductions - but the layers of fat built up in the regulatory side of things will be much harder to remove. Already there is little cash flow in the system to feed all those mouths, but they don't see that at all.

Given this thread is about QANTAS..the parallels are strong
Back in the 50's when it was flying boats and Constellations and you wore suits to travel, flying was beyond the reach of ordinary folk..and QANTAS had a monoploy
The arrival of the 707/747 and the opening of airspace to more carriers has changed all that
Similarly on the Mountain..the arrival of mass produced mountain wear, accommodation and high speed/capacity lifts and better access to the fields has led to every level of society enjoying what was once a fairly elitist pastime.
Then the overseas destinations started spruiking
More choice, lower margins
It's a lethal combination for any business

The ARC was accused of, eg, using Buller's $ for Hotham and Hotham's $ for falls etc so there was a catfight about 'equity and fairness' (or "I want his money for my hill). Later Commissioners and auditors - who still have a big red file full of things - found things that, somehow, resulted in 19 officials changing their careers. Then the ARMBs came into being, but there were was things like Thwaites. More recently there's a massive tsunami of stories flowing into politicians as people recite stories that "Hang on, he told me the exact opposite". A picture is forming and the parliamentarians know documents are falling off the backs of trucks.

You're right, the picture can change if the players want it to. We should never forget that despite only having tiny areas with skiable snow, all of Australia's resort areas lie in the most densely populated corner of the continent. There are 10 million people within 6 hours - the customer base does exist. Many ski regions around the world would love to have that kind of drive-to market potential. Now that skiing is a global business like any other, the Aussie market has to play to its strength: easy access. If it were priced in the same order of magnitude as what people have come to expect overseas, yet you can get in your own vehicle and scoot there for a weekend, that's an advantage no one else has. Of course the challenge is to bring the prices into line with world markets.