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Environment


ENVIRONMENT


Our snow is a unique and sensitive environment. The Mountains may be here forever, but the native wildlife, vegetation and the snow itself are more sensitive to environmental change, both local and planet-wide.

Australian snow resorts, together with local residents and businesses, are doing their part to ensure a sustainable commercial and ecological future at the Australian snowfields with their Keep Winter Cool campaign (take a look at their website www.keepwintercool.com.au). As a visitor to our snow, you can also help to ensure our snow is here for generations to come to enjoy. It’s your snow, after all.

You can follow the lead of the snow resorts; many have their own environmental management plans, such as the new Kosciuszko Thredbo Environment Management System (EMS). This kind of action across The Great Dividing Range reduces waste, improves water and resource conservation, promotes renewable energy use and recycling, and preserves wildlife habitats.

So, as you plan a fun snow getaway, take a moment to seriously consider an environmental plan for your trip. Think about how can you reduce your energy use, cut waste and use precious resources more wisely.

Here are some tips to get you started…
  • Instead of cranking up the heating the moment you return from the slopes, have a warm shower and rug up with warm clothes. You may still need some heating, but try to use as little as possible.
  • Team up with friends to travel to the snow, you might find you only need to take one car, rather than two. Drive a little slower to use less fuel and enjoy the view. Or consider taking a train or a bus for an ecologically and economically savvy trip.
  • Bring reusable water bottles with you so you don’t need to buy disposable plastic PET bottles each day.
  • Always recycle and respect the trees, plants and wildlife when you’re on the mountain. And make sure you always take all your rubbish off the mountain with you.
  • And finally, remember, if we don’t look after our snow, one year it may not snow at all.

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