Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Alpine areas across Australia are home to unique and sensitive ecosystems and threatened species, including the mountain pygmy possum and the southern corroboree frog. First Nations people have been the custodians of our mountains, where important ceremonies have coincided with the migration of the bogong moth, for millennia. As well as breathtaking natural beauty and important ecological and cultural value, our alpine areas are also an economic powerhouse. Alpine resorts generate $1.5 billion annually to Victoria's gross state product, attract 1.56 million visitors and provide more than 14,000 jobs. Indi is home to five of Victoria's six alpine resorts: Mount Hotham, Falls Creek, Mount Buller, Mount Stirling and Lake Mountain.

From bushfires to landslides, our alpine areas and resorts have proved resilient and adaptable, but climate change is presenting new challenges. The Australian snow pack is now at a 2,000-year low, and we are seeing ski seasons closing early. Protect Our Winters is a volunteer group passionately fighting to save our fragile alpine system and everything it represents. Protect Our Winters, along with the Australian National University and the Australian Mountain Research Facility, have undertaken a sobering analysis of the climate change impacts for the Australian Alps. But it's also a call to action. To save our precious alpine areas, we must reduce emissions, invest in appropriate renewable energy and empower our communities.