The Concept and Business Plans show that, with a significant capital contribution from Government, the Chalet can be viable.

These plans can be viewed:

• Concept Plan - large file of 30MB
• Concept Plan "Fly Through" - streamed via Screencast™
• Business Plan - file of 3MB

(Or read a summary below)

Mt Buffalo Community Enterprise was formed by a group of North-East based business and community representatives in 2010 to investigate the feasibility of setting up a community-owned enterprise to take over the Mt Buffalo Chalet.

This followed an extensive tendering process undertaken by Parks Victoria in 2009/10. The 17 strong foundation shareholder group includes people from towns and communities all across the North East and Alpine Valleys.

The Group incorporated Mt Buffalo Community Enterprise Pty. Ltd. at a meeting held at Mt Buffalo Chalet on 29 September 2010. The Company’s Constitution commits it to distributing 51% of future profits back to a not-for-profit Mt Buffalo Community Foundation to be used for “social, cultural, community and environmental” benefit.

The Concept Plans were developed by a consortium of consultants led by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects. The professional team includes Lovell Chen (heritage consultants) and Umow Lai, (services engineers). The quantity surveys engaged by MBCE are Napier & Blakeley.

The Business Plan preparation has been informed by a detailed Opportunity Assessment and Market Overview of the proposal that was undertaken by specialist hospitality/tourism consultants Deloittes THL. The Business Plan addresses capital costs, operating and cash flow forecasts and the balance sheet outlook and set out all MBCEs underlying business assumptions.

The Concept Plan involves reconfiguring the Chalet layout so that the original verandas are reinstated around the old Ballroom to become a new reception area and enabling access to the Chalet from the rear. Some of the older more run down parts of the building are proposed to be removed to make way for updated contemporary buildings.

The Plan would preserve the key heritage components of the existing Chalet and build a new, contemporary facility at the rear.

Preservation of the key heritage parts of the Chalet was one of the main goals. With the addition of the proposed Interpretive Centre, it would make the Chalet precinct more accessible and bring facilities up to 21^st century standards.

The concept designs for contemporary additions to the chalet are subtle, blending into the mountain landscape and respecting the heritage values. The designs don't overshadow the historic Chalet. With the Chalet listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, any changes would need to be approved by Heritage Victoria first.

A separate Business Plan for the Enterprise has also been developed by the Group. It sets out a detailed business model to run the new 99 Room guest house/boutique hotel under a 50 year lease. The Business Plan is based on a establishing the Chalet as a year-round visitor destination but does not propose to re-open the Mt Buffalo Ski lifts and facilities.

Under the Business Plan, a basic underlying premise is that the Chalet has to be run on a financially sustainable business basis. The Enterprise would operate the Chalet as a business under a broad-based community ownership structure.