Issue 41 2020Autumn Read our Resort Round-up A newsletter for the resorts community of Kosciuszko National Park Table of contents © 2020 State of NSW and Department of Planning, Industry and Environment 1 Selwyn focused on rebuild, but not With the exception of photographs, the State of NSW and open for Winter 2020 Department of Planning, Industry and Environment are pleased to allow this material to be reproduced in whole or 3 Un-covering the alpine she-oak in part for educational and non-commercial use, provided skink the meaning is unchanged and its source, publisher and 4 New fuel storage regulations authorship are acknowledged. Specific permission is required for the reproduction of photographs. 5 Kosciuszko fires The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment 10 Mountain pygmy-possums tuck into (DPIE) has compiled this report in good faith, exercising all rations due care and attention. No representation is made about the accuracy, completeness or suitability of the information 11 Update on alpine snow gum dieback in this publication for any particular purpose. DPIE shall not be liable for any damage which may occur to any person 12 Merritts gondola on the way… up or organisation taking action or not on the basis of this 13 Pandas re-discovered in Kosci!; publication. Perisher tackle weeds; and Reminder Readers should seek appropriate advice when applying about tank water after bushfires the information to their specific needs. 14 Thredbo goes renewable All content in this publication is owned by DPIE and is protected by Crown Copyright, unless credited otherwise. 15 Resort weeds on the radar It is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0), subject to the exemptions 16 Stocky galaxias rescued and ADF fly contained in the licence. The legal code for the licence is corroboree frogs to rescue available at Creative Commons. 17 Faces of Thredbo awards; New life DPIE asserts the right to be attributed as author of the from ‘tongs of death’; and Thredbo original material in the following manner: historical news © State of New South Wales and Department of Planning, 18 New funding for hawkweed and Industry and Environment 2020. Hawkweed and the fires Cover: Wattle re-growth adjoining Snowy Mountains 19 Saving our species (SoS) Highway, Kosciuszko National Park (Photo: A Scanlon) Published by: NOTICE: Environment, Energy and Science Department of Planning, Industry and Environment COVID-19 (Coronavirus) 4 Parramatta Square, 12 Darcy Street, The unprecedented summer has only become Parramatta NSW 2150 worse with the unprecedented COVID-19 virus. In this ever changing situation please make sure all Phone: +61 2 9995 5000 (switchboard) stakeholders are obtaining up-to-date information Phone: 1300 361 967 (Environment, Energy and Science from: enquiries) NSW Health TTY users: phone 133 677, then ask for 1300 361 967 Australian Government Department of Health Speak and listen users: phone 1300 555 727, then ask for World Health Organisation 1300 361 967 NSW national parks closure alerts and updates. Email: [email protected] If you have any leasing or licencing concerns Website: www.environment.nsw.gov.au please contact the NPWS Property and Commercial Branch via Report pollution and environmental incidents [email protected]. Environment Line: 131 555 (NSW only) or [email protected] For all other general public health matters (not See also www.environment.nsw.gov.au COVID-19 related) please contact Peter McCarthy, NPWS Environmental Health Officer via email ISSN 1837-6878 [email protected] or EES 2020/0105 (02) 6450 5546. April 2020 ii Resort Round-up Newsletter Autumn 2020 Announcement Selwyn focused on rebuild, but not open for Winter 2020 Molten alloy from the groomer tracks highlight the hot temperatures experienced during the 2019-20 fires at Selwyn (Photo: R Owen/DPIE) The Blyton Group, owner of Selwyn Snow Resort, operators, not only for this summer period, but for the announced that due to the extent of the damage peak winter season ahead. We are actively discussing this sustained in the bushfires earlier this year, Selwyn Snow situation with government at all levels to try and ensure Resort will not be open for the 2020 snow season. that support is made available for these communities. An initial assessment of critical resort infrastructure has But have no doubt, my team and I are totally focused on identified extensive damage to buildings, power, water, the rebuild of Selwyn Snow Resort and we look forward to sewerage and snowmaking. Selwyn Snow Resort has welcoming guests back to an even better Selwyn.’ been advised that restoration of power alone will take Discussions are ongoing with the New South Wales several months, due to the damage of several kilometres Government regarding the rebuild process, including of power poles leading to the resort. engagement with the NSW Department of Planning, Preparations for the clean-up of the site are underway with Industry and Environment and National Parks and Wildlife demolition of all buildings required, as well as the removal Service. of destroyed resort machinery such as groomers, skidoos Selwyn Snow Resort 2020 Season Pass holders will be and snow clearers. Detailed assessment of lifting and offered the ability to transfer their Season Pass to the snowmaking infrastructure will continue to be undertaken, Blyton Group’s other snow resort Charlotte Pass Snow requiring portable generators to be brought on-site. Resort at no additional cost, or alternatively receive a full Kevin James Blyton, Chairman of the Blyton Group refund of any payments made to date. said, ‘We are incredibly saddened by the impact this Seasonal Employees who had been offered the fire has had, not only on our resort but on the wider opportunity to return to Selwyn Snow Resort for the local community as well. We have considered a range upcoming season, will be offered the opportunity to of options to try and resume operations for this coming instead work at Charlotte Pass Snow Resort for Winter winter, however the damage to critical infrastructure is 2020. simply too extensive to make this possible. Regular updates on the rebuild process will be made We recognise the impact these fires have had on local available on the Sewlyn Snow Resort website. Resort Round-up Newsletter Autumn 2020 1 Selwyn Snowfields Selwyn Snowfields snowgun destroyed by fire (Photo: R Owen/ DPIE) 2 Resort Round-up Newsletter Autumn 2020 Lizards Un-covering the alpine she-oak skink Alpine she-oak skink (Photo: M Schroder/DPIE) Many unique animals live in Australia’s alpine and recent surveys have found the alpine she-oak skink subalpine ecosystems, yet we often know little about at considerably lower elevations at the southern and them. Understanding their natural history, habitat northern extents of its range; as low as 1320m. A number requirements and potential threats helps us conserve of new populations have been found in Kosciuszko these species into the future. Researchers are currently National Park (KNP) as part of this project, expanding its working to fill key knowledge gaps on one of the region’s NSW distribution to the north, east and south. However, most unknown species, the alpine she-oak skink perhaps due to its scarcity in the landscape, the species (Cyclodomorphus praealtus). is not easily detected and a considerable survey effort was The alpine she-oak skink is listed as Endangered nationally required to find these new populations. and in NSW, and Critically Endangered in Victoria. NSW In researching the impact of ski runs on reptiles in KNP, also categorises the species as ‘Data Deficient’ as there ANU’s Dr Chloe Sato found that without vegetation is insufficient information about the species to inform structural complexity, alpine she-oak skinks were subject decisions on the best management actions. Alpine she- to significantly higher rates of predation and were likely to oak skinks are slender medium-sized lizards up to 35cm experience temperatures that could be fatal. The result long. They appear to rely on low vegetation with high being a reduced opportunity to search for mates, food and structural complexity. Their habitat is under snow in the shelter without overheating. winter, limiting time for growth and reproduction in the summer. As grazing mammals have been shown to reduce vegetation structural complexity in the subalpine zone, Reptiles link to many ecosystem components through they are likely to be a key threatening process that could services such as vegetation and invertebrate consumption, affect this species over the coming years. Deer and horse seed dispersal and soil movement. Researchers in Victoria populations are expanding and native species are facing and NSW, led by Nick Clemann at the Arthur Rylah increasing habitat alteration with fire, climate change and Institute and Renée Hartley at the Australian National development. It is therefore important that we quantify University (ANU), are collecting scat samples to determine these impacts urgently. This research will quantify impacts the species diet, which is currently thought to consist of of both native and non-native grazing mammals across the invertebrates such as millipedes, beetles and caterpillars. alpine she-oak skink’s range. With more than 100 study Samples are also being collected to better understand the sites across KNP, this project will provide a landscape- species genetic diversity and population connectivity. scale assessment of the impact of grazing mammals on Previously thought to only occur above 1500m, alpine she-oak skink habitat and populations. Resort Round-up Newsletter Autumn 2020 3 What’s new with Underground Petroleum Storage Systems New fuel storage regulations There is new legislation to manage underground fuel storage - the Protection of the Environment Operations (Underground Petroleum Storage Systems) Regulation 2019. The aim of Underground Petroleum Storage Systems (UPSS) Regulation is to minimise the risk to human health and the environment by requiring best practice design, installation, maintenance and monitoring.