Our Changing Snowscapes: Climate Change Impacts and Recommendations for the Australian Alps

This report, titled Our Changing Snowscapes: Climate Change Impacts and Recommendations for the Australian Alps developed by the Australian Mountain Research Facility and ANU, commissioned by Protect Our Winters Australia, reviews the current state of climate change impacts on the Australian Alps and puts forward recommendations for a better path forward.
This report summarises a broad expanse of literature about current and projected climate change impacts on the Australian Alps and presents new Australia-first modelling of climate change impacts on the Australian ski industry. The report highlights a cascading series of interconnected impacts across alpine tourism, regional communities, hydroelectricity, high country water flows to the Murray-Darling Basin, carbon sequestration, high country ecosystems, and First Nations impacts and makes recommendations on how best to respond to these impacts.
The spectacular Australian Alps extend over 1.6 million hectares of public land contained in 11 national parks and nature reserves across New South Wales (NSW), Victoria (VIC), and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). They are home to nationally significant winter-tourism sectors, thriving and passionate regional communities and some of Australia's most unique and fragile landscapes.
The impact of climate change on temperature, precipitation, and snow conditions in the Australian Alps is stark and has been heralded for more than three decades. In 1988, it was predicted that climate change will drastically impact the Australian Alps, and that even small temperature increases would have a catastrophic impact on the Australian winter tourism industry. The Australian snowpack is now at a 2,000-year low. Snow cover between 1954 and 2012 has reduced by 30% and the length of the ski season has already contracted by 17% - 28% across most Australian alpine resorts. Businesses and regional communities at present are experiencing the impacts of climate change and these impacts are projected to worsen rapidly without decisive climate mitigation.
This event, being a presentation on key findings and recommendations by lead author Ruby Olsson followed by a panel discussion and audience Q+A, will unpack the findings of the report and its implications for Australia's winters and alpine regions. Importantly, the event will explore the recommendations of the report and how we move forward on crucial climate adaptation and mitigation work in the Australian Alps, towards a future that protects Australian winters.