Resort Information

Environmental Management System

What is an Environmental Management System?

An Environmental Management System (EMS) provides a framework for assessing the impacts on the environment resulting from the resort’s activities, for setting and reviewing goals and targets to reduce those impacts, for monitoring environment management performance and for communicating the outcomes.

The two key goals of Perisher’s EMS are to

1. identify and minimise any harmful effects on the environment caused by Perisher’s operations; and,
2. to continually improve Perisher’s environmental management performance.

Perisher's EMS has been developed with expert assistance and having regard to the EMS developed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) for the Perisher Range Resorts. Perisher’s EMS is consistent with the requirements of ISO 14001, being the international EMS quality standard. Perisher’s Environmental Manager maintains a focus on ensuring the practical implementation, maintenance and development of the EMS.

Each year, progress reporting is provided to the NPWS, which outlines a broad summary of the activities that have been undertaken by Perisher to meet the objectives and targets identified within the EMS. Perisher’s continuous improvement program includes;

• regularly reviewing Perisher’s operational activities to ensure all impacts on the environment are recorded, assessed and that effective environmental risk controls are in place, and;
• setting annual, measurable targets for reducing Perisher’s impact on the environment and closely monitoring progress towards achieving these targets, and;
• regularly reviewing EMS responsibilities, accountabilities, policies and procedures to ensure they are appropriate and effective

Staff involvement and EMS awareness

For an EMS to be successful a commitment is required from all staff within the organisation. The majority of Perisher’s permanent staff have undergone EMS awareness training which involved a 1.5 hour presentation focusing on a range of issues such as the causes of climate change, energy use and its impacts, the effects of atmospheric warming, the importance of biodiversity, ski industry responses to climate change, the ISO14001 framework and an outline of Perisher’s EMS elements, including relevant staff responsibilities and opportunities for their involvement. Importantly, seasonal staff also receive an EMS awareness induction presentation.

Perisher’s intranet

The ‘environment home page’ on Perisher’s intranet site is regularly updated allowing staff ready access to Perisher’s EMS documents, monitoring and measuring tools, policy and procedures, as well as access to a range of useful environmental information and resources. Importantly, the use of the intranet ensures effective version control and up to date content management of documents.

(read on Energy Use & Climate Change...)