Parks Victoria has provided this update, which we are sharing with our community.
We acknowledge that the closures below are having a combined impact on the tourism experiences in the Beechworth area and that connecting with nature is vital for the health and wellbeing of all Victorians. We are endeavouring to understand the damage and be able to repair these sites as soon as we can. Parks Victoria's priority is to keep people safe while visiting parks and we are asking everyone to take extra care this summer with the widespread flooding still impacting our parks.
Beechworth Historic Park
The recent flooding in Beechworth Historic Park caused structural damage to abutments of the Spring Creek Bridge on the Gorge Scenic Drive. The road is closed to all vehicles from Powder Magazine to Pritchard Lane. Pedestrian access to the park is still available but they are unable cross the Spring Creek Bridge. An engineering assessment of the damage is currently underway which will help us to understand the extent of the damage and an estimate of how long it will take to repair.
We expect this to be a long-term closure.
A section of the Lake Sambell to Kerferd Walking Track between Mauger Rd and Gee Rd is closed for safety reasons due to infrastructure damage, creek erosion and abandoned mine shafts. The rest of the track remains open. Signage is in place to notify visitors of the closure and funding is being sought to repair the track but we do not know yet when the track will be repaired.
Chiltern Mt Pilot National Park
In Chiltern Mt Pilot National Park assessments are still being completed, but many roads and tracks in the park have been impacted and are closed due to damaged road surfaces and fallen trees
Yeddonba Rock Art site remains closed due to serious safety concerns relating to structural integrity which was identified during an engineering inspection of the viewing platform. The site has great significance to Traditional Owners and the community and we are currently working to reopen the site as soon as possible. Works on the Yeddonba viewing platform are scheduled as part of Parks Victoria's work programme for 2022-23. For the latest updates on the delivery of these important works, please refer to the Asset Regeneration Program web page - www.parks.vic.gov.au/projects/statewide-projects/asset-regeneration-program.
