Arthurs Seat Skylift chief Hans Brugman shows off the $16 million project
THE 11 steel towers have arrived and the first 24 of 32 gondolas will soon be shipped from Switzerland.
The 100-seat cafe, the interpretative centre, the glass-fronted foyer, and the front steps and ramps are taking shape.
But Skylift chief Hans Brugman is most excited about the loading stations, where patrons of all ages and abilities will be able to safely board and alight the eight-seat gondolas.
The cutting-edge experience will cater to those with disabilities, the elderly and frail, as well as toddlers. It will also be wheelchair and pram friendly.
“Making it completely accessible has probably significantly increased the cost of this project but it was important to do it,” he said.
Mr Brugman, who regularly rode the original Arthurs Seat chairlift as a child and grew up to become an aircraft engineer, took Mornington Leader on an exclusive tour of the project.
As regular cyclists, drivers and runners along Arthurs Seat Rd can attest, the $16 million construction is well advanced, with a helicopter due to fly towers into place next month.
While the project had been progressing well, it had an extra boost this month when
State Planning Minister Richard Wynne ripped it from the hands of Mornington Peninsula Shire Council.
The Skylift consortium, nervous about delays due to councillors wanting to clear minor decisions, had asked the State Government to ‘call in’ the project. Mr Wynne agreed, saying the redevelopment had already been plagued by “local bureaucracy”.
Mr Brugman says he is thrilled by the community support of Skylift and says most people seem delighted the attraction is returning to the peninsula.
“I feel very privileged to be part of this and to be restoring such an icon for the future,” he said.
“This will be world-class and easily be the biggest and best gondola ride of this type in Australia. It’s absolutely cutting-edge.”
The new Skylift, built by Austrian company Doppelmayr, will start at the same location as the old lift, at the bottom of Arthurs Seat Rd, and essentially follow the same 1km ascent. The new upper station is on the south side of Arthurs Seat Rd, near the summit.
Both stations will be clad in timber panelling to blend with the bush surrounds, while the interpretative centre would tell the indigenous and white settlement history of the area, Mr Brugman said.
The centre will also pay tribute to those involved in the original chairlift, including builder Dr Vladimir Hayek.
Mr Brugman said Skylift would have a combination of enclosed and open cabins, meaning it could run all year round and would provide an all weather experience for patrons.
In its heyday, the original chairlift drew about 100,000 visitors a year — but not everybody could enjoy the ride.
Mr Brugman’s partner Leona Smith, recalls her disabled mother having to sit in the car while the rest of the family enjoyed the ride.
“That won’t have to happen anymore,” he said. “This will be a ride for everybody.”
*About Skylift
1960: The Arthurs Seat Chairlift opened in December. It was built by Dr Vladimir Hayek, a Czech engineer.
2006: The chairlift was closed and decommissioned after a series of mishaps including the collapse of a pylon in 2003, an injury to an elderly woman whose carriage slid into another carriage in 2004, and the trapping of eight people after a mechanical failure in 2006.
October 2009: The State Government called for tenders to build a new chairlift
October 2010: Skylift awarded tender
June 2014: Council approved the project subject to 70 conditions
November 2014: Save Our Seat Inc challenged council decision at VCAT
December 2014: VCAT approved project
April 2016: Planning Minister ‘calls in’ the project, removing responsibility from Mornington Peninsula Shire Council