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What about the blog?
We have retired the blog as a separate way of communicating with members. Old news can still be be found at aacfallscreek.blogspot.com
2021/2022 Summer Season Opening
We are pleased to advise that Summer bookings are open and the Lodge will reopen from December 1, 2021.
UPDATE: The threshold where vaccinations are required is now12 years of age
With COVID restrictions lifting in line with vaccination targets being met and Melbourne exiting its lengthy lockdown, we expect travel to Alpine areas will be in high demand this Summer. Our desire to open up is strong, but we also need to keep in step with the Government's latest updates so things may change as we progress through Summer and into Winter. For opening up on December 1, the Committee has made the decision that all people aged 16 years and over staying in the Lodge will need to be double vaccinated. We expect regulations to continue to allow more people in the Lodge when everyone is vaccinated, so requiring full vaccination will maximise the number of people who can stay and help restore lost revenue from the past two years. As younger cohorts are able to be fully vaccinated, the committee will review the minimum age.
Proof of each person's double vaccination via their vaccination certificate may be requested when the booking is made. The QR code check-in at the Lodge will remain in place for summer. The Service Victoria App has now been updated to allow individuals to link their vaccination certificate with the App. When you do the QR check-in at the Lodge (and other premises on the mountain), your vaccination status will also be verified at that time if you have linked your certificate to the app. The Lodge Manager may also check for this verification.
So, if you're from Melbourne, or any area that has been under lockdown, why not recharge with some quality time with friends and family at Falls Creek this summer? Enjoy your stay!
- Last Updated: 21 November 2021 21 November 2021
COVID Update - 24 June
The recent COVID restriction changes have brought the Lodge some good news, and some bad.
Who can come?
It's fantastic that Melbourne people can come to the lodge now, but very sad that many NSW people cannot. Wollongong and all of Greater Sydney have been declared Red Zones and no one from these areas may enter Victoria until advised otherwise. Please contact the booking officer as soon as possible if you or your guests have been in these areas.
Pre-visit COVID testing for Melbournians is still recommended, but no longer mandatory. Whilst not mandatory, if you can have a test done before arriving, it will be reassuring to Members and Guests that we are all doing our best to keep the Lodge COVID free.
For opening weekend, Resort Management advised that the Lodge capacity was limited to the private gathering cap. Now the capacity is limited instead by the 1 person per 4sqm rule. (Before the outbreak it was double this.) Although the Lodge is big enough to allow us to fill all the beds, the dining room and adjoining kitchen and mezzanine lounge are not big enough to allow everyone in that space at the same time.
Rostering
To maximise the number of people who can stay at the Lodge, the Committee has decided to roster meal times rather than severely limit the number of people who can stay. We understand that this constraint may be very inconvenient but it is the best way to allow as many members as possible to enjoy the Lodge while the 4sqm rule is in place.
When there are more than 24 people booked into the Lodge, you will be assigned a time slot for breakfast and dinner. Other times of the day are less likely to be crowded so we ask that you just observe the capacity limit of 24.
| Meal | Session 1 | Session 2 |
| Breakfast | 7:15-8:15 | 8:15-9:15 |
| Dinner | 5:30-7:00 | 7:00-8:30 |
You must not use the kitchen, dining room or mezzanine lounge during a session that you are not allocated. If you don't want to stay in your room, remember that the games room & TV room will be open, and the spa in the evening.
You can express a preference to the Booking Officer but if too many people want the same session, he will have the final say. Getting to morning lessons and feeding children will be considerations.
If you are coming at a time when rostering is in place, please keep to meals that can be easily and quickly prepared in that time frame. If you are in the 2nd session for dinner, you will not have access to the kitchen during the early session.
Sunday Blockout
As previously advised, the additional cleaning requirements mean that in busy weeks, we cannot admit Sunday arrivals until Monday. This will take effect from Sunday 4 July. If your booking was set to start on a Sunday, you may not check in until 3pm Monday. If you drop off luggage or access the ski room prior to 3pm Monday, you must also sign-in using the government QR system and you must not come up the stairs.
Paperwork
Don't forget that you need to complete the Liability Waiver and Patron Health Accommodation Questionnaire for everyone in your party and return them to the Booking officer before departing for the Lodge.
Falls Creek Resort Management also requires you to purchase and print off resort entry permits/oversnow tickets, etc before arriving in the resort. The Howmans ticket box and the ATS will not be able to process these, at least until further notice. Keep an eye on the Falls Creek resort website for up to date information. Resort entry Season Pass holders must still register their visits at least 48 hours before arrival, but need not print out the permit (you still need to display your Season Pass on your windscreen).
Our full COVID Safe Plan is a rather bulky document that includes much material of little interest to most members and guests. A summary of our COVID Safe Plan has been published to more succinctly inform members and guests about how the lodge will operate. These documents will be revised in the next few days to reflect clarifications and new advice that is expected to come through. The table below summarises factors that may override the summary.
Keep up to date with the changes
The most up-to-date information will be published on the wesite at aacfallscreek.com. Be sure to check for the latest information.
Hopefully we will soon see the 2sqm rule reinstated and NSW hotspots cleared up.
Key settings from 25 June
| Hotspots |
People (over 12 years old) coming from "Melbourne Metro" are recommended to have a negative COVID test within 72 hours of departing Melbourne. Wollongong and all of Greater Sydney have been declared Red Zones and people who have been there recently may not enter Victoria. |
| Lodge Capacity | 46 |
| Meals rostered | When more than 24 people are staying at the lodge |
| Visitors | Not until restrictions ease |
| Bedrooms shared between bookings | Not until restrictions ease |
| Masks | Must be worn indoors unless eating, drinking or otherwise exempt |
| COVID cleaning surcharge | $5 per person per night |
| Sunday blockout | Will commence on Sunday 4 July. If your booking was to begin on a Sunday, do not come until Monday now. |
| Physical distancing | At least 1.5m where feasible |
| Density | 1 person per 4sqm in all common areas |
Travelling from interstate?
- QR code check-in is mandatory at the Lodge and nearly everywhere on the mountain. This will be easiest if you install the Service Victoria app on your smart phone
- You will need an entry permit for Victoria. Unless you are coming from a hotspot, it is a formaility akin to checking-in in case they need to find you later. However, from Friday 25 June, all LGAs in Greater Sydney, and Wollongong LGA, have been declared as Red Zones and people who have been there are not permitted to enter Victoria.
- Check the border and quarantine rules for your State (and any States you will transit)
- Last Updated: 01 July 2021 01 July 2021
COVID UPDATE - 12 June
The Lodge is open but very constrained by government restrictions regarding who can stay. The situation has been changing rapidly and often with very short notice. Please bear with us as we strive to accommodate as many bookings as Government restrictions allow. Our booking officer Alan Long has the onerous task of adjusting the bookings and communicating directly members who have booked. Please don't shoot the messenger!
The limit on the capacity of the lodge is the same as the Victorian government's cap on private gatherings.
This is currently a single household (or intimate partner or single bubble) plus 2 adults and their dependents.
Hopefully by 18 June, Melbourne based Members and Guests will be permitted to travel to the Lodge, however at this stage we are still not permitted to take new bookings from Melbourne based residents. We are allowing Melbourne members to express interest in future booking times using the normal tentative booking request process. No bookings from Melbourne members can be confirmed at this time.
If there are more bookings than permitted by the restrictions, the Booking Officer will have discretion to determine which eligible bookings can use the Lodge.
Keeping up to date with changes
Some additional government guidelines for alpine resorts were published last week. Our full COVID Safe Plan has been revised to ensure that it still complies. This is a rather bulky document that includes much material of little interest to most Members and Guests. We had previously prepared a summary of our COVID Safe Plan so you can see at a glance how we expect to operate this Winter. The table below summarises factors that may override the summary.
Of course we respond to any updates in government advice. The best way for you to keep abreast of lodge contions is to check the COVID status on the club website.
Major changes to a normal season in the Lodge
- Before this outbreak, we had been hoping that cleaning requirements for shared accommodation would be eased. Unfortunately that is not the case. Once we get busy, we will need to close the Lodge from 11am Sunday to 3pm Monday each week for thorough deep cleaning of the entire Lodge. Before the latest lockdown, we expected this to start in the middle of Victorian school holidays on Sunday 4 July, with all bookings that were due to start on the Sunday to be postponed until the Monday. If the cap on private gatherings remains low, the introduction of the Sunday night block-out may be delayed from July 4th due to the low volume of people that can be in the Lodge under those restrictions. For Members and Guests who have a booking that spans two consecutive weeks, they will be allowed to remain in the Lodge but with some restrictions so as not to interfere with the deep cleaning.
- We have also had to introduce a COVID cleaning surcharge of $5 per head per night. This will apply equally to all categories of members, guests and children.
- You must bring masks to the lodge. Depending on government restrictions at the time, you may need to wear them whenever you are outside your bedroom. You will need them in all venues and vehicles throughout the resort.
- You will need to be mindful of social distancing in common areas and scupulous about hygienne.
- You will need to complete a Liability Waiver and a Patron Health Accommodation Questionnaire before you travel to the Lodge, which will be provided to you via e-mail.
- If you are arriving on a Sunday, or Monday after a block-out day, you are requested to arrive at the Lodge between 3pm and 6pm. The meet and greet session that evening will brief you on the COVID conditions in the Lodge as well as the normal information. If you are arriving on a different day or cannot arrive by 6pm on Sunday/Monday, you will need to text the Lodge Manager to advise her of your estimated arrival time.
- Please read the summary of our COVID Safe Plan for a fuller idea of how this year will differ from a normal season at the Lodge.
Hopefully the restrictions will ease soon and we can enjoy the lodge together this winter.
Key settings
| Hotspots | No Melbourne residents or people who have visited Melbourne recently |
| Lodge Capacity | One household plus 2 adults and their dependents |
| Visitors | Not allowed until capacity permits |
| Bedrooms shared between bookings | Not until restrictions ease |
| Masks | Must be worn indoors unless eating, drinking or otherwise exempt |
| COVID cleaning surcharge | $5 per person per night for all categories of members & guests |
| Sunday blockout | Expected to commence on Sunday 4 July but may be delayed if private gathering cap remains very low |
| Physical distancing | At least 1.5m where feasible |
| Density | 1 person per 2sqm in all common areas |
Travelling from interstate?
- QR code check in is mandatory at the lodge and nearly everywhere on the mountain. This will be easiest if you install the Service Victoria app on your smart phone
- You will need an entry permit fror Victoria. Unless you are coming from a hotspot, it is a formaility akin to checking in, in case they need to find you later
- Check the border and quarantine rules for your state (and any states you will transit)
- Last Updated: 14 June 2021 14 June 2021
Think You Don't Need to Fit Snow Chains to your 4x4? Think Again!
For those that have driven up to Falls Creek and other Resorts when it's been snowing, you will have noticed that sometimes the signs will say fitting chains to two-wheel-drive (2WD) and when the snow is really heavy the signs will say fitting chains to 2WD and four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles. For those of us that own 4WD and All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) vehicles, we have enjoyed the freedom of usually not having to fit snow chains unless it's been really heavy snow and/or ice. Well, from this year onwards, unless you have recognised 'snow tyres' on your 4WD/AWD vehicle, you might still have to fit chains to your vehicle 4WD/AWD.
Coming into this winter, rumours around the mountain have been rife with comments about 4x4 and AWD vehicles needing to be fitted with snow tyres to avoid having to fit snow chains when the conditions require. Snow tyres are prevalent in Europe but not so much here in Australia. Snow tyres are not the same as All Terrain (AT) tyres or even traditional Mud and Snow tyres. Snow tyres have a special tread pattern and a special soft compound that improves performance when driving in snow and ice.
The Alpine Resorts (Management) Regulations 2020 was released last year with an important update regarding the fitting of snow chains (see page 30). Essentially, VicRoads have created a new 'class of vehicle' which is "vehicles that have Snow Tyres fitted to all wheels of the vehicle". In addition, there are other important changes as follows:
- Firstly, the new VicRoads regulations will include a requirement that wheel chains comply with the European ON-V5117 Standard. Ladder chains will not be approved
- There is likely to be a special classification for AWD vehicles fitted with identified winter/snow tyres in relation to wheel chain fitting
- Winter/snow tyres will be required to comply with ECE 117.02 snow test and be identified by the 3PMSF ‘snow flake’ alpine symbol
- All terrain tyres, and tyres with only the Mud + Snow (M+S) marking, will not be recognised in this new classification.
How do you tell a snow tyre? It will have on its sidewall (the side of the tyre) the 3PMSF 'snow flake' alpine symbol of a mountain with a snowflake inside it like this:
So what does all this mean? The bottom line is, depending on the snow conditions when you are driving up the mountain, even if you are in a 4WD or AWD vehicle, the likelihood of you having to fit your chains is higher than prior years, unless your vehicle is fitted with the recognised 3PMSF 'snow flake" snow tyres.
So, with a snow forecast that is very positive for 2021, our recommendation is to make sure your snow chains meet the regulations and if you don't have recognised snow tyres, then you might want to practice fitting your chains before you leave. And, most importantly, consult your owners' manual regarding whether to fit your snow chains to the front wheels, or the rear wheels of your vehicle, regardless of whether you drive a 2WD, 4WD or AWD vehicle.
Safe driving everyone!
- Last Updated: 09 June 2021 09 June 2021
Notice of 2021 Annual General Meeting
Notice is given that the 2021 Annual General Meeting of AAC Falls Creek Inc will be held:
DATE: Tuesday, 18 May, 2021
VENUE: via Zoom videoconference
TIME: 7:30 pm - Annual General Meeting to commence
RSVP by 9 May 2020 is essential
AGENDA
- Apologies
- Receive and adopt the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting
- Business arising from the Minutes
- Correspondence
- Receive and adopt the Committee's Reports
- Receive and adopt the Profit And Loss Account and Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2020
- Proposed New Annual Subscription & Levy for 2022
- Receive and adopt the Auditor's Report
- Appoint an Auditor for 2022
- Election of the Committee
- A.A.C. Business
- General Business
- Covid-19
Preparation and conduct of the meeting
- To be admitted to the meeting you must RSVP by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 5pm Sunday 9th May. Prior to the AGM you will be sent a link to join the meeting.
- The meeting will be kept as succinct as possible. We also need to make voting as uncomplicated as possible, while ensuring that it is done faithfully.
- Therefore all nominations, proxies, items of general business must be submitted to the Chairperson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 5pm Sunday 9th May. Any proposed Motions must also be provided to the Chairperson by this date.
- You are strongly encouraged to send any questions to the Chairperson by the same date. There will be an opportunity to submit some questions on the night but questions with notice will be more manageable with the technology.
- If you will be attending the meeting, please prepare in advance. Install Zoom on your computer, tablet or phone and use Zoom’s facilities to test that your audio and video are working. If you have a headset with microphone, please use it to reduce background noise.
- Please keep your mic muted during the meeting unless the chairman recognises you to speak. The chairman or his assistant may mute you if necessary. We prefer having all cameras active during the meeting but you may be asked to “mute” cameras if there are difficulties.
- Voting may be a bit laborious. Please be patient if votes need to be counted.
- The meeting will be conducted in accordance with the amended Rules of Association adopted by the Special General Meeting on 13th April 2021.
Election of committee members
The committee recommends that a total of 7 committee members be elected (3 executive members plus 4 ordinary committee members). At the committee meeting after the AGM, the committee elects members to specific positions. At the time of this notice, all current committee members are intending to stand again.
Documents
- Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting can be downloaded from aacfallscreek.com/pdf/AGM2021/MinutesAGM2020.pdf
- Proxy Forms may be downloaded from aacfallscreek.com/pdf/AGM2021/ProxyForm2021.pdf
- Nomination Forms may be downloaded from aacfallscreek.com/pdf/AGM2021/NominationForm2021.pdf
- Financial reports (including Auditor's report) can be downloaded from aacfallscreek.com/pdf/AGM2021/FinancialStatements.pdf
- Committee reports can be downloaded from aacfallscreek.com/pdf/AGM2021/CommitteeReports.pdf
Jenny Hughes (Secretary)
C/- ProAcct Advisors & Accountants Pty Ltd
PO Box 140 BALWYN VIC 3103
Phone: (03) 9880-9600
Fax: (03) 9880-9699
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Last Updated: 03 May 2021 03 May 2021
2021 Lodge Working Bee
To prepare the Lodge for what is hopefully going to be a bumper snow year, a dedicated team descended on Falls Creek on the weekend of May 1 and 2. With plenty of painting, cleaning, sorting and filling the firewood cabinet, the Lodge is looking 'spic n span' and ready for another season!
Thanks to JB for this selecton of photos of everyone hard at work!
Falls Creek's "The Bachelor" getting some painting in.
Lynn in her Aussie green & gold wicket keeping gloves.
Risty showing his prowess on the ladder.
Reeve supervising mum and Tash.
John and Lodge Manager, Julia, checking for tadpoles.
Will, renovating the BBQ with new knobs and a deep clean.
David "Mr Lighting" illuminating the drying room.
- Last Updated: 16 May 2021 16 May 2021
General Meetings - SGM report and save the date for AGM
The Special General Meeting on 13 April approved the proposed changes to the Rules of Association. Thanks to all those who took part.
The minutes of the meeting are at aacfallscreek.com/pdf/SGM2021/Minutes_SGM2021.pdf
The amended Rules can be found at aacfallscreek.com/xDocs/rules/Rules2021.pdf or via the Member page on the club website
Save the date - AGM on 18 May
This year's AGM will again be a videoconference. We hope that next year we will be able to have a meeting where peolple can attend in person, or by videoconference.
- Last Updated: 19 April 2021 19 April 2021
2021 Easter Eggstravaganza!
Sorry, couldn't help myself with an Easter pun!
Easter 2021 at AAC Falls Creek was a sight to behold! Fantastic weather, pristine walking and riding trails, beautiful views and most importantly, people in the Lodge!! It really was great to be back at Falls Creek, our home away from home.
Granted, for those travelling from Melbourne the drive was longer than usual with plenty of complete stops on the Hume highway to keep you on guard, but thankfully it seemed most took their time and kept their cool.
A huge thanks again to John B, Jenny H and Justin C for all they did getting the Lodge COVID-friendly for Easter, it was great to see everyone socially distancing, disinfecting and checking in using the QR code when they arrived.
Wish you were there? Well here's a selection of photos which hopefully let's you feel like you were there and might inspire you to visit in 2022.
- Last Updated: 06 April 2021 06 April 2021
Notice of Special General Meeting
Notice is given that a Special General Meeting of AAC Falls Creek Inc will be held:
DATE: Tuesday, 13 April, 2021
VENUE: via Zoom videoconference
TIME: 7:30 pm – Special General Meeting to commence
RSVP by Friday 9 April 2021 is essential
AGENDA
1. Apologies
2. Update the Rules of Association
Special Resolutions to be voted on
A. That the proposed changes to replace the term President with Chairperson be adopted
B. That the proposed changes to better support videoconference annual general meetings be adopted
C. That the proposed change to update the means of giving notice be adopted
D. That the proposed change to the example age for a progressive debenture/joining fee payment be adopted
Preparation and conduct of this special general meeting
• To be admitted to the meeting you must RSVP by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 5pm Friday 9 April. Prior to the meeting you will be sent a link to join the meeting.
• The meeting may only address items on this notice.
• All proxy forms, must be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 5pm Friday 9 April. Proxy Forms may be downloaded from aacfallscreek.com/pdf/SGM2021/ProxyFormSGM2021.pdf
• If you will be attending the meeting, please prepare in advance. Install Zoom on your computer, tablet or phone and use Zoom’s facilities to test that your audio and video are working. If you have a headset with microphone, please use it to reduce background noise.
• Please keep your mic muted during the meeting unless the chairman recognises you to speak. The chairman or his assistant may mute you if necessary. We prefer having all cameras active during the meeting but you may be asked to “mute” cameras if there are difficulties.
Jenny Hughes (Secretary)
C/- ProAcct Advisors & Accountants Pty Ltd
PO Box 140 BALWYN VIC 3103
Phone: (03) 9880-9600
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Note: The AGM is planned for Tue 18 May.
________________________________________
Explanation of Proposed Changes
Why do we need to change the Rules?
Elections for committee members have rarely been required. When the Rules of Association (aka the constitution) were updated in 2014 to comply with new legislation for Incorporated Associations, we simply adopted the default election procedure from the Model Rules provided by government. Our focus at the time was more on ensuring that our membership and debenture provisions were properly included in the new Rules.
In 2019 and 2020, however, the club was in the fortunate position of having more willing candidates than positions to fill. The election in 2019 showed some weaknesses in the procedure laid down in the rules. In 2020 the AGM was held as a video conference. It became clear that while the Rules allowed for members to attend the AGM and vote using technology, this was not well supported by some of the other rules pertaining to AGMs and elections.
The videoconference AGM was very successful, allowing members to participate who had previously been unable to attend in person. The Committee has determined that even after the pandemic has subsided, AGMs should encourage remote attendance. Accordingly the Rules should be revised to explicitly include measures that were beneficial in the running of an AGM that includes members attending via technology. After reflecting on the ballot process for videoconferences it became clear that further improvements to the process should be considered in future, such as the possibility of using preferential voting. The proposed rule changes address all these considerations and should be treated as a group.
While reviewing the Rules, some other minor items were identified that we would like to update.
Summary of the proposed changes
The specific changes proposed are detailed in aacfallscreek.com/pdf/SGM2021/Detail_of_Proposed_Changes.pdf .
The current Rules of Association can be found at aacfallscreek.com/xDocs/rules/rules2014.pdf .
Improve support for video conference AGMs
Rule 40 Use of technology
- Allow modified procedure where a video conference or similar is used for a meeting
Rule 43 Adjournment of general meeting
- Allow adjournment if there are serious technology problems
Rule 35 Annual General Meetings
- Allow election of committee and possibly some resolutions to be voted on before the AGM. Allow finalisation of results after the meeting closes.
- Allow a deadline for proxies prior to a meeting so proxy voting is efficient during a videoconference, including validation of the proxies
Rule 57 Nominations
- Allow for a deadline for nominations prior to the AGM so that a ballot can be organised if required
Rule 59 Ballot
- Allow for a ballot process other than the simplistic paper process that was in the model rules
- The new wording provides scope for a ballot to be held before the AGM, with announcement of the results at the AGM, or possibly soon after the AGM. There is also scope to move to preferential voting without mandating it
Rule 39 Proxies
- Allow for a situation where there is a direct ballot of members and proxy votes will not be used
Rule 46 Determining whether resolution carried
- Allow for electronic equivalent of a written poll in a videoconference
Other proposed changes
In revising the Rules, we also identified a number of minor changes that would be beneficial
- Use the term Chairperson rather than President (numerous occurrences throughout the Rules)
- Remove faxes as a means of giving notices and make allowance for direct electronic messaging such as SMS (Rule 80 Notice Requirements)
- Change an example of when junior membership payments may be due from 17 to 18 to reflect our current practice. It is only used as an example so this is not essential, but it would be clearer (Rule 12 Debentures)
________________________________________
- Last Updated: 17 March 2021 17 March 2021
Welcome New Lodge Managers!
After a thorough recruitment process, we are extremely pleased to announce the new AAC Falls Creek Lodge Managers are Julia Mitas and Craig Moegel.
Julia and Craig are Falls Creek locals and have previous experience managing a member lodge on the mountain. Julia will have primary responsibility for the day to day management of the Lodge while Craig will also provide assistance as required. For those that have visited “The Pass” for a coffee or snack, you may recognise Julia from there, while Craig is well known as Falls Creek Ski Patrol Leader and SES volunteer.
Julia and Craig are planning on moving into the Lodge in March and we will provide further updates as details are finalised.
Welcome Julia and Craig!
- Last Updated: 16 November 2020 16 November 2020