Alpine Resorts Victoria (ARV) has welcomed news that the alpine resorts have been recognised in a major Federal grant funding program, marking a major milestone for the new entity.
ARV is now eligible to apply for up to $15 million in funding for projects benefitting any of the six mountain resorts it manages, through the Federal Government’s Growing Regions Program.
The guidelines for eligibility for the $600 million funding program have been revised to include ARV, a change that ARV and the alpine sector have championed for many years in order to drive reinvestment in the alpine industry, which contributes $1.1 billion to Victoria’s GDP.
The Growing Regions Program will invest in critical regional infrastructure and community projects across regional and rural Australia through two $300 million funding rounds.
“ARV and the alpine sector have long highlighted the fact that alpine resorts have missed out on funding opportunities that equivalent local government areas were eligible for,” said ARV Chief Executive Officer Amber Gardner.
“The alpine industry is largely self-funded, which means that events such as the 2019-20 bushfires and COVID-19 significantly reduced resorts’ ability to invest when it was needed most.”
Entities such as ARV will be able to apply for grants of between $500,000 and $15 million through the program, which opens on 5 July.
“This change to our eligibility for the Growing Regions Program significantly expands the sector’s opportunity to take on projects that will enhance our alpine resorts and create sustainable destinations for all Australians into the future,” said Ms Gardner.
“One of ARV’s priorities is to make the state’s alpine resorts accessible to all Victorians, so being eligible to apply for this regional funding provides another opportunity for us to do that, said ARV Chair Ali Wastie.
“The resorts have projects that can make a genuine difference to not only the alpine community, but all visitors to our mountains and Traditional Owners, along with supporting the local economy and driving local employment.”
Page last updated: 06/07/23