INCREASING Ben Lomond’s ability to capture natural snowfall, grooming the snowfields and lifting the mountain’s profile are its committee’s top priorities.
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Growing the numbers that venture to Ben Lomond, just 45 minutes from Launceston, during summer and winter is paramount for the national park reaching its commercial potential.
‘‘We are trying to lift the profile because there are more people coming up here at all times of the year,’’ Ben Lomond Committee president Tony Gray said.
‘‘We think there are some relatively easy things that will make it a better skiing and snow destination.’’
A $20,000 Ben Lomond feasibility study funded by various levels of government and groups has been advertised for tender.
The study is financially supported by the Northern Midlands Council, the Department of State Growth, the Ben Lomond Committee and Regional Development Tasmania, in addition to two contributions from community members.
Mr Gray said the study would focus on the winter aspect.
‘‘Part of the study will involve a skifield expert, and it is my expectation is that there will be confirmation that some simple changes with the snow fences will allow us to capture more snow,’’ he said.
‘‘Ben Lomond actually gets quite a lot of snow. A part of the problem is that the wind blows it away or it doesn’t settle well enough.’’
Snowfield grooming would involve vegetation reduction and the filling in of holes in summer.
During winter it would involve compacting the snow so that it did not easily melt and filling in holes so that a high amount of snow was not needed for skiing.
‘‘Our expectation is with the current snow we are getting, we can get a better outcome before you go the extra step of making snow,’’ Mr Gray said. ‘‘The other thing with Ben Lomond is that the front slopes get more sun and there is a one to two degree difference from the back slopes.
‘‘We often have snow on the back slopes but you can’t get to it, but if you have done your grooming and the snow guns are working, all we really need is to get one tow up the back and a trail to get back down to use them when the snow disappears on the front slopes.
‘‘At the moment, when this disappears at the front, it all closes.
‘‘The snow capture and grooming don’t have to be expensive, and at the very least we should aim for that and then look at the cost of an additional dam and additional snowmaking.’’
The study would help justify the Ben Lomond Ski Slopes Plan 2010, which was generated by Parks and Wildlife but so far not acted upon due to funding constraints.
Mr Gray said there was a need for walking tracks on the mountain, especially one to Tasmania’s second-highest peak, Legges Tor, at 1573 metres high.
He said a 20m-minute track from the village to Legges Tor could link up with the existing Carr Villa trek to create a walking circuit.
‘‘I think there are some real economic multipliers for the region from visitors here,’’ he said.
‘‘If you look at the potential, a very small relocation of funding from some of the other parks will allow for interpretation signage, grooming and a walking trail.’’
It has also been suggested that a second dam on Ben Lomond be built to increase the capacity to create snow and therefore tourism numbers.
Mr Gray said school holidays in Tasmania now fell on the first fortnight in July, which was generally when the snow began to fall.
‘‘We have found in the past couple of years that we have had more kids up here early in the season, and if you have got people up here early in the season, they tend to be up here during the season.
‘‘It is not just those coming up to ski: there are a lot of people now that come up for snow play and tobogganing.’’
Northern Tasmanian Alpine Club president and ski patrol patron Berni Einoder said ski club memberships were steady despite patchy snow seasons.
Professor Einoder said there was a waiting list to join his club when he signed up in 1977, which continued through to the 1980s.
He said Ben Lomond even produced a national under-16s school ski trophy championship team at Thredbo in the mid-80s.
‘‘There are so many sports for kids to do now and it it hard to grab the kids away to do skiing,’’ he said.
‘‘Skiing is no longer choice number one. They fit it in with their busy life rather than fitting everything else around skiing.’’
