Balmattum Hill reopens

Balmattum Hill reopens to the public

The Balmattum Hill Walking Track will reopen to the public just in time for the June long weekend and the easing of coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.

The track has been closed since a bushfire in January, which burnt about 350 ha of land from the Strathbogie-Euroa Rd along the Balmattum Hill toward Cusack Road.

Reopening the walking track has been a significant effort by Strathbogie Shire Council.

It has had to replace 140m of fence, repair the Rotary Rotunda and ensure expert arborists deem the trees along the track within Council land as safe.

"We're excited to be opening the Balmattum Hill Walking Track right before the long weekend," Deputy Mayor Cr John Mason said.

"We expect gates will be open by close of business on Friday, June 5.

"This walking track is one of our Shire's great attractions with people coming from across our region and beyond to enjoy the walk and views from the top.

"You may not know that during World War II soldiers physically trained by carrying rocks up the hill and they remain stacked along the track side today."

The Balmattum Hill Walking Track has two options for walkers, these being:

The short walk: From the carpark to the rotunda is 294m. This track was constructed in 2001 by the Euroa Rotary Club to commemorate the Centenary of Federation. The long walk: From the rotunda to the end of the track is 1036m with 168m of incline. This section was constructed in 2011 by the Euroa Rotary Club as an extension to the short walk creating access to the surrounding bushland and views over the Euroa Township and across the Victorian Northern Plains.

Cr Mason reminded walkers to wear sturdy walking shoes and in case of emergency to phone 000.

"Across our beautiful Shire we have almost 15km of walking tracks for residents and visitors to enjoy. It's most definately one of the things that makes our Shire so special," he said.

Fast facts about the Balmattum Hill Walking Track

Distance    Short walk 294m Long walk 1036m Total one way 1330m  Time to complete  Advanced walkers - short walk 5 minutes, long walk 30 minutes Moderation walkers - short walk 10 minutes, long walk 45 minutes Slow walkers - short walk 12 minutes, long walk 60 minutes   Difficulty  Short walk easy Long walk moderate/intermediate a long steady inclind with some steep sections