Our Environment

Mt Buller supports a diverse range of alpine flora and fauna. This includes many rare and threatened species including the Mountain Pygmy-possum.

Please do not pick our beautiful flora as you not only take the flower but also hundreds more future flowers by taking the seeds.

FAUNA

Mountain Pygmy-possums

The Mount Buller Alpine Resort is home to a population of Australia's iconic alpine possum - the endangered Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus). Habitat degradation and fragmentation, predation and climate change threaten its existence across the Australian Alps.

When serious declines in Mountain Pygmy-possum numbers were observed between 2001 and 2003, the resort, in partnership with BSL and the DELWP, developed a five-year Mountain Pygmy-possum Recovery Plan to protect the species and its habitat. The plan was updated in 2020 and continues to direct conservation actions and works as a guide for the continued management of the species. Annual monitoring of the population continues with positive results. Click here to access the Recovery Plan.

Animals in Lodges and Buildings

A number of animals live within the alpine environment at Mt Buller. Occasionally these animals venture inside buildings for warmth and in search of food. The most common native animals that are found inside lodges are the Dusky Antechinus (Antechinus swainsonii) and Bush Rat (Rattus fuscipes). To avoid animals getting into your building, block up any holes or access points and ensure that food is not readily accessible. If an animal enters your building, you can use a live trap, available from hardware stores, to trap the animal. Animals can't legally be relocated further than 30m away from their point of capture and it is illegal to kill native animals.

If you are having problems with animals inside your building call Alpine Resorts Victoria on 03 5777 6077.

Click here to learn more about small native mammals in the environment.

Click here to learn more about Alpine snakes in the environment.

FLORA

Approximately 196 species of indigenous vascular plants have been recorded above 1,200m at Mt Buller. These species are found in characteristic vegetation communities called ecological vegetation classes (EVCs). Ecological vegetation classes are a convenient classification method for describing a collection of floristic communities occurring across a biogeographic range which, although differing in species present, has similar habitat and ecological processes operating.

EVCs identified across Mt Buller include sub-alpine woodland, treeless sub-alpine mosaic, riparian forest, shrubby dry forest, damp forest, wet forest, herb-rich foothill forest, montane dry woodland, montane damp forest and montane riparian thicket, each found at specific elevations.

Treeless Sub-alpine Mosaic occupies most of the highest areas of the Resort above approximately 1,650m, mostly on the tops of Baldy, Mt Buller and Mt Stirling. This vegetation type occurs above the tree line where the extreme climate prevents trees from growing. It is a mosaic of a number of distinct plant communities including heathlands, herbfields, grasslands and mosslands. On moderately sloping areas around the summits short dense heathland is dominated by Alpine Hovea (Hovea montana) and Snow Grasses (Poa sp.). On exposed rocky ridges Alpine Grevillea (Grevillea australis) dominates low shrubland. Another heath, Mountain Plum-pine (Podocarpus lawrencei) forms dense thickets in the headwaters of creeks on steep rock scree or boulder fields.

On permanently wet drainage lines with a shallow slope, low closed heathlands gradually give way to mossbeds. Although uncommon across the Resort, several mossbeds do occur on the northern slopes in the headwaters of Boggy Creek at Mt Buller, and along Baldy Creek at Mt Stirling. Mosslands are dominated by Sphagnum Moss (Sphagnum christatum) and the Tall Sedge (Carex appressa) and are very sensitive to disturbance.

Grasslands and herbfields are found on well-drained soils, sheltered from strong winds. With increasing soil wetness and restricted drainage, herbfields grade into sod tussock grasslands. Herbfield species include Silver Daisy (Celmisia astelifolia), Mountain Gentian (Chionogentias muelleriana) and Yam Daisy (Microseris lanceolata). Grasslands are characterised by various species of Snow Grasses (Poa sp.).

Sub-alpine Woodland occupies the high ridges and upper slopes at elevations from about 1,400m to 1,700m. It is reasonably common in the higher mountainous regions of the Resort. The overstorey consists mostly of Snow Gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora) although in the lower reaches of the altitudinal range Alpine Ash or Woollybutt (Eucalyptus delegatensis) and Mountain Gum (Eucalyptus dalrympleana) may have a minor presence. The understorey varies from a dense shrub layer to a layer dominated by a wide range of grasses and forbs with scattered shrubs. Common understorey shrubs are Leafy Bossiaea (Bossiaea foliosa), Dusky Daisy-bush (Olearia phlogopappa), Alpine Shaggy-pea (Podolobium alpestre) and Alpine Pepper (Tasmannia xerophila).

The Mt Buller area is botanically significant because it is the type locality for at least nine species. Type locality is the locality from which the original named specimens of these species were collected.

This brochure shows a selection of wildflowers from the Northeast mountains. The photos may assist in identifying some of the more common ground-layer species.

Orange Hawkweed

The introduction of exotic plants has had a drastic impact on native ecological communities since Europeans first colonised Australia. Mt Buller has not escaped the effect of these tenacious plant invaders and many exotic species or weeds can be seen throughout the area. Many of these are exotic pasture grasses that were introduced in the past to help stabilise modified ski slopes. The following table includes some of the more prominent introduced species that have been recorded in the resort area. This list is not exhaustive. There are other introduced species present on the mountain, especially ornamental species that occur within the Mt Buller Village.

Alpine Resorts Victoria is responsible for collecting, testing and treating Mt Buller's water. Where many regional suburbs draw their drinking water directly from surrounding local streams, Mt Buller's water comes from a protected catchment and undergoes intensive UV treatment to meet and surpass Australian drinking standards.

Alpine Resorts Victoria is committed to the safe & optimal treatment of waste, and the preservation and sustainability of our alpine environment.

Mt Buller is a leader in alpine waste management in Victoria, having introduced our Living Bin food waste recycling scheme in 2010. Since the start of this program an average of 38 tonnes of food waste per annum has been diverted from landfill. For more information on how you can implement the Living Bin, contact 03 5777 6077 or info@mtbuller.com.au.

Click here for more information on waste management and recycling.