Environment Protection Licence No. 2274

Licence Information

Perisher Blue Pty Ltd owns and operates the Skitube Alpine Railway which provides train services between Bullocks Flat, Perisher Valley and Blue Cow within the Kosciuszko National Park in South Eastern NSW.

Perisher is the holder of Environment Protection Licence No. 2274 (EPL 2274), which licences the Bullocks Flat Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). The STP is located nearby to the Bullocks Flat Skitube Terminal, on the Alpine Way via Jindabyne NSW. The STP operates year-round to service the needs of the Terminal and its associated offices and workshop facilities.

This website provides information about the environmental performance of the STP, to meet Perisher’s obligations under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) (PoEO Act).

The full licence can be viewed on the EPA website HERE. 

Complaints Line: Please direct any complaints or comments in relation to the STP, including reporting of overflows, to Perisher by phoning 1300 938 652 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Monitoring / Discharge Points and Areas

The following monitoring/ discharge points are outlined in Condition P1.2 of EPL 2274, and are indicated on the attached map:

• Point 1 – effluent volume monitoring, immediately prior to the UV disinfection facility.
• Point 3 – environmental monitoring, in Thredbo River, approx 20m upstream of the weir,
• Point 4 - environmental monitoring point, in Thredbo River, approx 100m downstream of the weir
• Point 5 – Discharge to Waters and Final Effluent Quality Monitoring, at the outlet of the UV disinfection unit
• Point 6 – environmental monitoring, in the weir at the end of the wetland system

EPL 2274, requires that sampling at Monitoring Points 3, 4, 5 and 6 be carried out fortnightly between 1 June and 30 September and quarterly between 1 October and 31 May.

Concentration Limits

The concentration limits specified in EPL 2274 for Monitoring Point 5 only, are shown in Table 1 below:

Table 1- Monitoring Point 5 Concentration Limits

Attachments

Monitoring Results - a spreadsheet displaying Bullocks Flat Sewage Treatment Plant Monitoring Results.

Site Map - a site map showing the location of the Bullocks Flat Sewage Treatment Plant and relevant monitoring points. 

Pollution Incident Response Management Plan - an extract from Perisher's STP Pollution Incident Response Management Plan relating to communication with the community and relevant authorities. 

Construction and Development

Pre construction

All construction and development that occurs within the resort areas controlled by Perisher must be authorised by the Department of Planning prior to the commencement of works. The assessment process is managed under Part IV of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) and the NSW State Environmental Planning Policy (Kosciuszko National Park – Alpine Resorts) 2007.

For all proposed construction works, a Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) must accompany each development application. The purpose of an SEE is;

• To advise the Department of Planning of the proposal;
• To identify all the environmental issues which have been considered in formulating a proposal and which will be relevant to future decision making and actions;
• To describe the proposal in sufficient detail to appreciate its environmental implications;
• To identify environmental best practices which are proposed to be implemented to enhance environmental outcomes and reduce any possible adverse effect; and
• To assess the likely environmental effects of the proposal as an input into future decision-making.

If relevant approvals are received, environment awareness training and site compliance training is presented to all staff and/or contractors involved with the construction project prior to the works commencing, to ensure environmental issues are well known and are considered on a day to day basis.

During construction

A Site Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) is a site specific plan that is developed to ensure that the environmental risks of a proposal are properly managed. A draft SEMP is lodged as part of the development application and subject to comments from relevant consent authorities, and once approved becomes a condition of development consent. It outlines, amongst other things, access routes, equipment storage areas and the location of sedimentation containment barriers.

Site environmental inspections are carried out on a regular basis throughout the construction season by Perisher’s Environmental Manager to ensure compliance with the SEMP.

Post construction

Once construction of the proposed works are complete and the site has been stabilised (revegetated), the Approval Authority undertakes a final inspection prior to issuing a final occupancy certificate or a statement of completion of development. Ongoing monitoring of the site continues post construction, consistent with consent conditions and a rehabilitation plan for the site is generally implemented over the following three years.

(read on ASAA and Keep Winter Cool...)

Water and Waste

Our Waste Commitment 

Perisher Commit to Zero Waste to Landfill by 2030

Perisher resort plans to achieve its 2030 goal of “zero waste to landfill” by diverting 100% of the waste from its operations to more sustainable pathways. We plan to do this by:

• Improving our recycling and composting program
• Engaging with suppliers to reduce packaging and to source recyclable and compostable products
• Working with local residents, community groups and resort stakeholders to increase options for reuse and diversion
• Increasing awareness and engagement with employees and guests through signage, labelling and training

Where does your waste go?

General Waste

We generate 41 million tonnes of rubbish each year! That’s about 1.9 tonnes for each of us! Reduce your waste by recycling!!

Compost - Food Waste Only

The process of composting is the breaking down of green waste - in to an organic matter rich in nutrients. It is used in gardens, landscaping, horticulture and agriculture. Composting requires four equally important ingredients to work effectively – carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and water. Perisher sends all compostable matter to a commercial facility for optimal breakdown. 

Recycling

A key objective of Perisher’s EMS is to minimise resource consumption through efficient materials management programs to reduce waste to landfill.

Recycling bins are provided throughout the Resort giving Perisher’s staff and gues the opportunity to recycle. The bins are comingled bins that accept plastic, glass and aluminium. 

On a broader waste management scale, paper, glass, aluminium, plastic and waste steel are all recycled at Perisher Valley. In addition to this, all hazardous waste including used motor oils and filters, batteries, engine coolant, tyres, used cooking oil and grease trap sludge and other rubber products are recycled at licensed disposal facilities. Systems are also in place for the recycling of waste generated by staff, including electronic waste, mobile phones and printer cartridges.

Water Savings 

• 98% of all of Perisher’s showerheads have been converted with low flow fittings
• 100% of the staff and guest accommodation at The Station and ‘on-mountain’ staff accommodation
• Saving 4L of water per flush for waterless urinals

Annual Clean up day

Every year post season, Perisher coordinates a clean up day to collect solid waste within the resort area. Approximately 80 Perisher staff, assisted by National Parks and Wildlife Service employees combine to apply a total of over 450 person hours, scouring the slopes, around buildings, huts, lodges, roads, creeks, lifts and anywhere else that rubbish can collect over the winter months. Each
year around 1 tonne of rubbish is collected off the slopes on Clean-up Day, comprised largely of food wrappers, cigarette butts, ski gear and plastic drink bottles. 

(read on Construction and Development... )

Biodiversity

Helping the Mountain Pygmy-possum at Blue Cow

The Mountain Pygmy-possum (MPP) is listed as an endangered species under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act. There is a known population of the MPP in the Blue Cow area of the resort. As a good custodian Perisher makes efforts for the conservation of this species.

Since the early 1990’s, numerous fauna crossing have been installed across Perisher Ski Resort, including in the areas adjacent to the MPP habitat. The tunnels are rock filled excavations or tunnels that traverse ski runs and roads, providing natural ground cover and allowing small animals such as possums, rats and reptiles to cross open areas, safe from the threat of feral predators. The tunnels also help to maintain a space under the snow so that the animals are able to move around as needed. Some of the tunnels are cleaned and improved as time goes on, to ensure they remain open and effective. Perisher now has over 15 of these crossings throughout the Resort, in areas including Happy Valley, Goats Gully and Lower Rollercoaster.

Additional MPP habitat was created as a rehabilitation offset for the construction of the Freedom Quad chair at Guthega. Excess rock from slopeworks was used to create habitat and improve connectivity of the area, and hundreds of the plants used in the revegetation works will provide food for the MPP.

The area of prime MPP habitat at Blue Cow, previously known as ‘Rough Rider’  has been closed to all ski and snowboard traffic and grooming vehicles since 2002. This is to minimise potential disturbance to hibernating possums during the winter months. The Mountain Plum Pine at Blue Cow is a staple food source for the MPP and it was badly impacted by the bushfires in 2003. Following the bushfires Perisher staff assisted the NPWS in the planting of Mountain Plum Pine seedlings in the Blue Cow MPP habitat area. The plants are progressing well and more have been planted in recent summer months.  2013 monitoring results from NPWS saw the highest number of MPP since the 2003 bushfire, with 16 female and 12 male MPP caught and tagged. This is attributed to the revegetation work undertaken and trapping of feral predators.

Planting of native trees and shrubs

Over the last three summers over 7000 native shrubs, trees and grasses have been planted throughout the resort. The plantings have been predominately in the vicinity of the Ridge Quad chairlift area, Boot Hill, Mt Perisher, Centre Valley and Guthega Freedom chairlift area. The recent wet summers and the ability to water the plants through the use of the snowmaking system have helped the plants establish. It is hoped that these plantings will help to develop vegetation corridors so that native fauna can move around in relative safety and also minimise the visual impacts of exotic grass species that are used to rapidly stabilise the ground after slope construction works.

Revegetation work is monitored for years afterwards to ensure it is successful. New techniques are trialled and monitored in partnership with NPWS. Recently a degraded bog was rehabilitated using excavated sods from works in the Freedom Quad Chair area. It was the first time that something of this scale had been attempted and to date the work has been largely successful.

Perisher works with specialist alpine nurseries to ensure the plants used for rehabilitation within the resort area are the best quality, and local to the area.  Nurseries source native plant cuttings and seed for propagation from the Perisher area, to ensure the correct species and genetic material are being maintained in the local vegetation.

(read on Water & Waste...)