The Northern Alpine Club will get the finishing touches it has been waiting 20 years for at the end of the winter.
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The government’s Community Infrastructure Fund has granted the Ben Lomond club more than $37,000 to refurbish the hydronic and hot water systems.
Club president Greg Rowlings said the grant was a “big shot in the arm” for the club.
“Our club is in an alpine environment whereby we have a lot of problems with water and water freeze and burst pipes because our facilities are not manned 24/7,” he said. “Our biggest risk is roof freezing and burst pipes.
“This grant enables us to create a system to work with a local plumbing firm in Launceston which specialises in alpine environments and we think we have a really good system whereby we can stop that happening and finish off the project we started 20 years ago.”
The club has had issues with the pipes bursting and flooding the lodge’s upstairs.
Mr Rowlings said the club would now be able to accommodate school groups, non-for-profits and community groups.
“We can cater for up to 100 people in our lodge which is awesome for people who want to use that alpine environment for not just skiing, but in summer for alpine pursuits,” he said.
The works are expected to get under way in September, with completion expected in October.
“We can’t do anything just yet because of the temperature and because we want to think this through,” Mr Rowlings said.
“We don’t want people up there on the roof in high winds and minus temperatures, so we want to make sure we think it through and get the best plan available.
“We’re the second oldest club in Tasmania and I think the third or fourth oldest alpine club in Australia, so there is a lot of history there.”
Resources minister Guy Barnett congratulated the club and wished them well with the project.
“The refurbishment will bring the bathrooms up to a contemporary standard, and through ensuring a regular hot water supply and adequate floor heating it will mean they are more comfortable and safer – particularly in our cold winters,” he said.
Mr Rowlings said he was thankful to the government.