In early 2021 the Victorian Mobile Landcare Group Inc (VMLCG) was asked by Parks Victoria Team Leader Kevin Cosgriff, based at Mt. Beauty, to assist with the rebuilding of horse yards at the Langfords West Campground, part of the Victorian Alpine National Park. This site is used extensively by campers / licensed horse tour operators etc and Parks Victoria had been planning to renovate some of the visitor infrastructure for some time.
The VMLCG provided the logistical support and resources to do the work, assisted by a number of kind donations through the VMLCG’s GoFundMe page, as well as a budget from Parks Victoria and the VMLCG itself. The project involved around 12 VMLCG volunteers camping out for 5 days in what turned out to be challenging weather and rebuilding the horse yards, adding new horse-riding facilities and creating new camping opportunities by redefining the extent of the camping area itself.For this project, the VMLCG trialled the use of Woodshield’s plastic covered chemical free pine posts which are ideally suited to this harsh environment and being plastic coated, are excellent for horse yard construction. The challenge was to use the posts in combination with parts of the existing yards that were deemed to be still in good condition, conserving resources and minimising environmental impact. This was achieved with success.
We also had the opportunity to increase the effective height of the yards with these poles. The site is littered with rocks and it was a challenge to get the posts into the ground using hand-dug holes. The
group really appreciated the ease of handling of the Woodshield posts, and the relative lightness and strength of them, especially when transporting them by hand over the rough terrain present. One of
the early decisions the VMLCG made with Kevin and Tom was to use as much local, Australian content in the products we chose. To complement the Woodshield posts, the group also made use of Davo’s Fencing Clips as well as another, local Australian product, Spiralfast Wire Joiners. Both these proved to be highly effective in securing the plastic sight wires in both the horse yards and the campground perimeter fence. Both these products will be used more extensively in the Phase 2 scope when the remainder of the wires, both plastic and drawn wire, are strung. The yards are now partially completed and November (after the snow melt and reopening the the park) will see the same group return to complete the fencing work, remove the old yards wire and redundant posts – and declare the yards open!”
