Most of the beautiful landscape at Budj Bim was scorched by fire in January, and now the World Heritage-listed attraction has been dealt another setback.
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Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation program manager Denis Rose says the coronavirus pandemic has interrupted works scheduled to begin on the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, near Macarthur.
Budj Bim received $8 million in 2016 and $5 million in 2019 from the state government to implement tourism infrastructure.
Mr Rose said tenders were being sought for projects on the landscape which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2019.
"We've done the planning, got most of the permits or whatever other things are required in place and it's now time to actually put this infrastructure into place," he said.
"We thought we would be starting to construct by now but that's been delayed a little bit because of COVID.
"The plan was we would be starting in the second half of this calendar year.
"We'll just have to wait and see how much of that happens."
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He said plans for the Budj Bim National Park included upgrading the visitor centre and a new lookout at Lake Surprise.
Mr Rose added updating the Tyrendarra Indigenous Protected Area facilities, including better pedestrian access, was also on the agenda.
He is hoping projects can be completed in the next 18 months.
"I suspect by about the end of 2021 is when a lot of the tourism infrastructure will be in place," he said.
"New toilets and picnic areas and things like that as well."
Parks Victoria reopened Budj Bim on March 3 following summer bushfires.
The national park was closed in January after fire impacted most of its 5500 hectares.
A section of the Lake Surprise walk and a staircase at Tunnel Cave has remained closed for assessments and repair since.
Parks Victoria district manager Jamey Staples said some work had been done.
"Rehabilitation of the terrain around Lake Surprise walking track needs time to naturally settle, including for new vegetation to bind the soil and rocks. Safety is our priority and we will not hurry this natural process," he said.
"Tunnel Cave remains closed due to fire damage, however the crater rim and lava canal walking tracks have been re-routed around this area and are open to the public, along with many other walks in the park."
Meanwhile, Ardonachie resident Terry Sim, who lives on Addinsall Road, said progress had been made to repair surrounding properties impacted by the bushfire.
"The only thing done at this stage is Parks Vic has almost completed the renewal of the boundary to my neighbour's property," Mr Sim said.
"So that's been greatly appreciated.
"Because the fire came into my neighbour's property, where I lease, they have had to replace the boundary fence."
Mr Sim added Parks Victoria had also repaired an internal fence.
He explained the fire burned about 60-70 acres of property which had essentially recovered.
Mr Sim, in January, told The Standard the blaze was a "wake up call" for him to improve his fire plan.
He has an idea in mind.
"I think longer term it will mean perhaps having areas of crop around the west side of the house here," he said.
"Just to mitigate the grass fire risk."
He explained his and other properties were on the west and south side of the national park.
Mr Sim said last summer's bushfires at Budj Bim could have been far worse.
"We were very lucky that with that fire, it was relatively cool," he said.
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