Kosciuszko, your park - your plan Discussion Paper 4 Sustainable Use – Ski Resorts Kosciuszko National Park 2004 – 2024 Kosciuszko National Park Plan of Management Review NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service 1. INTRODUCTION Ski Resorts and their Location within Kosciuszko National Park 1. The purpose of a national park is to identify, protect and conserve areas containing outstanding or representative ecosystems, natural or cultural features or landscapes or phenomena that provide opportunities for public appreciation and inspiration and sustainable visitor use and enjoyment (National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974 as amended) (NPW Act). 2. The ski resorts in Kosciuszko National Park (KNP) have been used for intensive recreational activity over a long period. The four resort areas of Thredbo, Perisher Range (Perisher/Smiggin Holes, Guthega and Blue Cow, Bullocks Flat and Link Management Units), Charlotte Pass and Selwyn Snowfields provide access to winter recreation opportunities, such as skiing, that do not exist elsewhere in NSW. They contribute significantly to state and regional economies. 3. The current Plan of Management for KNP (PoM) recognises winter snow sports as a “major recreational activity enjoyed by winter visitors to the Park” (NPWS 2001). The ski resort areas (defined as J Management Units in the current PoM) are “managed to provide opportunities for alpine skiing and other alpine recreation and appropriate summer use” (NPWS 2001). 4. The ski resorts are located in the sensitive alpine, sub alpine and montane environments of KNP. The significant environmental values of these environments are associated with their altitude, geomorphology, vegetation communities, fauna, and water catchment qualities. The government recently confirmed these significant values and the need for their ongoing protection when it decided that the ski resorts should be retained as part of the national park. This decision followed an inquiry into the effectiveness of the National Parks and Wildlife Service’s policies and practices in carrying out its responsibilities for urban communities and road maintenance within national parks (Walker Inquiry). 5. The government’s decision means that KNP and the ski resorts will be managed in accordance with the principles of management for national parks according to the NPW Act as follows: (a) the conservation of biodiversity, the maintenance of ecosystem function, the protection of geological and geomorphological features and natural phenomena and the maintenance of natural landscapes, IIIssssssuuueee PPaaapppeeerrr 444::: SSuuussstttaaaiiinnnaaabbbllleee UUssseee ––– SSkkkiii RReeesssooorrrtttsss PPrrreeepppaaarrreeeddd fffooorrr ttthhheee KKNNPP PPoooMM CCooommmmuuunnniiitttyyy FFFooorrruuumm MMeeeeeetttiiinnnggg 111777///111888 OOccctttooobbbeeerrr,,, 222000000222 1 (b) the conservation of places, objects, features and landscapes of cultural value, (c) the protection of the ecological integrity of one or more ecosystems for present and future generations, (d) the promotion of public appreciation and understanding of the national park’s natural and cultural values, (e) provision for sustainable visitor use and enjoyment that is compatible with the conservation of the national park’s natural and cultural values, (f) provision for the sustainable use (including adaptive reuse) of any buildings or structures or modified natural areas having regard to the conservation of the national park’s natural and cultural values, (g) provision for appropriate research and monitoring. 6. The new PoM for KNP must be prepared according to these principles and will provide the overarching framework for the management of the Park and the ski resorts. 7. The challenge for future management is to recognise the importance of, and provide for, recreational opportunities in the resort areas while, at the same time meeting the principles set out above to protect the natural and cultural values of the Park. The debate is centered around whether the principles of management for national parks outlined on page 1 should be applied directly to the resort areas or whether the resorts should be managed to give greater emphasis on sustainable visitor use and considered part of a much larger area ie KNP which is managed according to all of the national park principles. Existing Plan of Management 8. The existing PoM sets out management objectives and prescriptions for cross country and alpine skiing within KNP as a whole, and then for each individual resort and associated area. The primary management objectives of the areas set aside for the management of alpine skiing in the existing PoM are: • to encourage the provision of facilities and services in alpine skiing management units for alpine skiing; • to ensure that resort area planning and services are of a high standard appropriate to w inter visitors and to a park of Kosciuszko's environmental quality and international stature; • to foster the development of a range of alpine skiing opportunities; IIIssssssuuueee PPaaapppeeerrr 444::: SSuuussstttaaaiiinnnaaabbbllleee UUssseee ––– SSkkkiii RReeesssooorrrtttsss PPrrreeepppaaarrreeeddd fffooorrr ttthhheee KKNNPP PPoooMM CCooommmmuuunnniiitttyyy FFFooorrruuumm MMeeeeeetttiiinnnggg 111777///111888 OOccctttooobbbeeerrr,,, 222000000222 2 • to ensure that facilities are provided for non-skiing visitors w ithin the ski resorts; • to permit accommodation for essential servicing staff and visitors to prescribed levels; • to ensure that ski resorts function w ell; • to ensure visitor safety in the operation of services and facilities; • to monitor visitor grow th patterns and visitor responses to ski resorts and services; • to ensure that cross-country skiing facilities are provided w ithin and adjacent to resorts; • to ensure satisfactory design standards for all new structures and works; • to ensure community services are provided to meet visitor grow th and statutory standards; • to protect important features including landscape and environmentally sensitive areas; • to maintain liaison w ith local shires, Department of Planning, Environment Protection Authority, local tourist associations and other community groups and appropriate authorities concerning ski resort development policy and practice and w inter tourist grow th indicators; • to have regard to the effects of development on areas surrounding the Par k. 9. Amendments to the PoM were made in 1994 and 1999 responding to the growth and the environmental condition of the resort areas within the Park. Since 1982 the main amendments made to the PoM reflect the following: • Increase in the PoM accommodation limits in the resort areas of Thredbo and Perisher, Smiggin Holes and Guthega. • Consolidation of ski resort boundaries and closure on new ski resort areas in the Park. • Permission for snowmaking additives for use in snowmaking systems subject to no adverse environmental impacts. • Creation of a new management unit – Link Management unit to link the resorts of Perisher, Smiggins, Blue Cow and Guthega. • Change in NPWS policy to allow for a range of accommodation including apartments. • Change in policy on recreational facilities to permit non-skiing recreational facilities in resorts and major facilities to be developed off park. • Provision of better facilities and services for cross country skiing. • Water conservation and resource management policies to protect streams and threatened species. IIIssssssuuueee PPaaapppeeerrr 444::: SSuuussstttaaaiiinnnaaabbbllleee UUssseee ––– SSkkkiii RReeesssooorrrtttsss PPrrreeepppaaarrreeeddd fffooorrr ttthhheee KKNNPP PPoooMM CCooommmmuuunnniiitttyyy FFFooorrruuumm MMeeeeeetttiiinnnggg 111777///111888 OOccctttooobbbeeerrr,,, 222000000222 3 • Confirmation of off park accommodation policy. Recent Changes to Planning and Development Control 10. At the time the government confirmed that the ski resorts would be retained within KNP in 2001, it decided that a new planning regime would apply to the ski resorts and that PlanningNSW would be responsible for detailed planning, development and building control. It also decided that the RTA would manage the major roads in the park. 11. The new planning regime involves the introduction of an interim State Environmental Planning Policy 73 (SEPP), followed by a Regional Environmental Plan (REP) to apply to the ski resort areas. PlanningNSW are responsible for the preparation of both of these documents. The enabling legislation for the interim SEPP and REP, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act Amendment (Ski Resort Areas) Act was passed on in December 2001 and SEPP 73 came into force in September 2002. The new legislation applies to “ski resort areas” defined as areas of land within the Kosciuszko National Park, broadly defined by the management unit boundaries of the existing PoM. 12. The new legislation requires that the Minister for the Environment be consulted in the development of the REP (now known as the Alpine Resorts Plan or ARP). In doing so the Minister is required to take into account whether the ARP promotes the objects of the NPW Act and is consistent with the PoM. Relationship between the Plan of Management and the Alpine Resorts Plan 13. The PoM applies to all of KNP and provides the context and overarching principles for the management of the ski resorts. NPWS has an ongoing role to ensure the conservation and protection of the land in which the ski resorts are located. At the same time, the new PoM must contain realistic management prescriptions for the development of