Snowy Special Activation Precinct – Bushfire

Blackash has been part of the team working on the Snowy Mountains Special Activation Precinct (Snowy SAP) which aims to increase year-round tourism to this stunning region.

Blackash has been providing bushfire expertise and services in support of the Masterplan for Jindabyne’s town centre and surrounds, and popular tourist locations in Kosciuszko National Park.
The Snowy SAP will identify opportunities to:

• promote the development of year-round attractions and improve amenities of the area
• improve regional access to enable more visitors to reach to the area
• remove capacity constraints to enable growth in winter tourism
• grow the region into the national training base for Australian winter Olympic and Paralympic athletes, building on the NSW Government’s $5 million commitment to a new National Snowsports Training Centre in Jindabyne

The Enquiry by Design used by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment has been used to explore, test and resolve design strategies for the Snowy SAP. Blackash has provided:

• Context analysis
• Bushfire risk management advice
• Legislative expertise and guidance
• Mapping for bushfire prone land
• Constraints and opportunities review and analysis
• Advice for structure planning
• Vision and sustainability testing
• Bushfire planning

Bushfire has been a key consideration and design requirement in the development of the Snowy Master Plan and the Snowy SAP.

The Cooma Monaro Local Government Area and the Snowy Mountains has a history of large and high consequence bushfires that have interrupted the community and significantly impacted the natural environment, most notably in 2003 and 2020.

In a bushfire context, strategic land use planning must ensure that future land uses are in appropriate locations to minimise the risk to life and property from bushfire attack. The broad principles which apply to this analysis are:

• ensuring land is suitable for development in the context of bushfire risk and broader environmental impacts;

• ensuring new development on Bushfire Prone Land will comply with the minimum requirements of Planning for Bushfire Protection 2019;

• providing adequate infrastructure associated with emergency evacuation and firefighting operations; and

• facilitating appropriate ongoing land management practices.

The Snowy SAP is seeking to significantly expand utilisation within the alpine areas which will require new and adaptive approaches to be developed and applied to conserve the unique nature of the alpine areas while providing for the protection of human life. Blackash has been collaborating with the Snowy SAP team to provide a balanced view on these matters.