Commercial Operators
A licence is required by people or businesses who conduct organised tours or recreational businesses for profit within the Mt Buller and Mt Stirling Alpine Resorts under Section 17 of the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978.
Before making an application for a Commercial Operator Licence, prospective licence-holders should contact Resort Management and confirm the availability, terms and conditions of licenses for the specific activity.
The decision to grant a Commercial Operator Licence, its duration and conditions remains within the discretion of Mt Buller Mt Stirling Resort Management.
Call 03 5777 6077 or email info.mtbuller@alpineresorts.vic.gov.au
Fees
Commercial Operator Licence fees consist of the fixed component (Annual fee) and a variable use component (User fee – based on visitor numbers). The annual licence fees for standard and multi-year licences reflect the value of licence fees managed by DECCA and PV.
CATEGORY
Annual Fee
Annual Fee - greater than 1 year (per year)
User Fee - Adult
User Fee - Child
FEE ($) 2023-2024
$330.40
$259.20
$3.65
$2.80
* Dates are based on the Resort Management financial year being from 1 November to 31 October.
** GST is not payable on Commercial Operator Licence fees.
Depending on the complexity of the licence application the process may take between six to eight weeks. All prospective operators need to ensure that they provide enough time to become licensed prior to operating to avoid disappointment.
Accreditation Requirements
The Victorian Government Policy Statement Licensing System for Tour Operators and Activity Providers on Public Land in Victoria (2008) states that longer-term tour operator licences should be conditional, amongst other things, on the applicant being accredited under a recognised industry certification program that encourages improved environmental, cultural and business management. The programs currently recognised as supportive of an application for a longer-term licence are:
UP TO 3 YEARS
Nature Tourism – EcoCertification IV;
EarthCheck Benchmarking and Certification;
Respecting Our Culture; and
Australian Tourism Accreditation Program
(formerly Better Business Tourism Accreditation Program);
UP TO 10 YEARS
Advanced Ecotourism – EcoCertification IV;
Ecotourism – EcoCertification IV; and
EarthCheck Benchmarking and Certification
(formerly GreenGlobe Company Standard).
Accordingly, the licence terms and conditions require the Licensee to possess accreditation which is consistent with the nature of the product being offered. Accreditation must be maintained throughout the Term of the Licence.
Trip Returns (Visitation)
Commercial Operators are required to maintain a daily record of the number of persons who participate in tours. A copy of this record is to be provided to the Resort Management on a quarterly or annual basis and is used to calculate the use fees payable.
4WD & AWD Village Permits
Applications for the 2024 winter, are now closed.
Dogs in Alpine Resorts
The Alpine Resort (Management) Regulations 2020 allow the regulation of domestic animals in Alpine Resorts. Mt Buller residents can apply for a Dog Permit subject to eligibility criteria. Dog Permits are not issued for Mt Stirling. Cats are not permitted in either Resort under any circumstances. Heavy penalties apply.
Accredited assistance animals entering the resorts do not require a permit. Alpine Resorts Victoria’s Assistance Animal Policy can be accessed below.
Mt Buller Dog Permit applications can be submitted from 8 April to 25 May annually.
Important Information for Dog Owners
Drone/UAV/RPA Operations
For the safety of our guests, all drone flights at Mt Buller and Mt Stirling must be:
-
pre-approved by the Resort,
-
comply with Resort and CASA regulations and
-
be flown by a Drone Pilot with a Remote Pilot Licence (RePl) or a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operator’s Certificate (ReOC).
The Resort does not allow pilots that are only Accredited Operators to fly drones within the resorts even if the drone weighs 2kg or less due to safety concerns.
The resort provides two types of drone permits:
-
Single Flight Permit for pilots with a RePL or ReOC
-
Annual (multi-flight) permits for pilots with ReOC only.
The online permit application form and policy can be found below. Please complete and submit your application property.mtbuller@alpineresorts.vic.gov.au.
Please Note
Hobbyists are not permitted in the resort. No request or application will be considered.
Any persons found flying a drone in the Resort without prior authorisation will be asked to cease operations and leave the ski area with their drone.
Find more information at the CASA website here
Apply Now
Please complete and submit the form below for your Drone Application at least 14 days prior to your first planned flight each year or 3 days prior for all subsequent applications.
IMPORTANT
All fields are mandatory. You must complete all fields to submit the form. This form will not save.
Filming in Mt Buller & Mt Stirling
Mount Buller and Mount Stirling are proud to be popular locations for shooting of television and film.
A permit application is required to be lodged for all filming inside of the Mount Buller and Mount Stirling Resort.
The below links have been provided for those wishing to film in the resort.
Filming in Resort
Apply Now
Please complete and submit the form below for your Filming in Resort Application at least 14 days prior to your planned start of filming.
IMPORTANT
All fields are mandatory. You must complete all fields to submit the form. This form will not save.
Helicopters in the Resort
Commercial and private helicopters are currently not permitted to land within the Resorts.
Private Transport Services
The Resort Management Board and the Mt Buller community are working jointly on a range of improvements to visitor transport services to give visitors increased choice in terms of service and price.
A key element of these improvements is to allow, for the first time, private transport operators to provide intra village transport and between overnight car parks and accommodation within the Village. The new private transport service offer an alternative level of service to the Resort’s ride share service via a dedicated vehicle for the booking (as opposed to multiple bookings sharing the same vehicle with multiple pick-ups and drop-offs)
Snow Limo Services
This service involves offering guests a transfer service from outside the resort direct to/from the Mt Buller Village.
Snow Limo Service applications are currently closed.
