Report of inquest into the deaths arising from the Thredbo landslide

Contributing factors

• Leaking watermain saturating the marginally stable embankment
• Marginally stable Alpine Way fill embankment originally constructed by SMHEA in 1950s for temporary use
• Failure of NPWS and DMR/RTA to reconstruct or remediate the known unstable road section despite landslide history
• Inadequate geotechnical assessment prior to village development
• Poor original construction standards by SMHEA without proper benching or compaction
• Inadequate drainage and water management
• Lack of systematic monitoring and risk assessment
• Watermain constructed of materials unsuitable for movement in unstable ground

Coroner's recommendations

1. Minister for the Environment should appoint an independent committee (including representatives of Local Government, Road Authorities, and the Planning and Engineering communities) to review NPWS's ability to function as an environmental, urban planning, and road maintenance authority
2. RTA should examine its system of assessment of slope stability in light of the lessons from the Thredbo landslide
3. Urgent consideration should be given by NPWS to removal of Alpine Way fill from above the western portion of Thredbo Village, with detailed explanation of any risks from leaving the fill in place
4. Alpine Way and other Park roads inherited from SMHEA should be monitored by appropriate experts to detect areas of instability
5. Alpine Way and other inherited roads should be subjected to regular and expert geotechnical assessment
6. NPWS should establish and maintain a central record of detailed history of incidents of instability on the Alpine Way and other roads under its jurisdiction
7. Building Code of Australia and local planning codes should be reviewed and amended to require consent authorities to consider proper hillside building practices and geotechnical considerations
8. The Landslide Risk Management Concepts and Guidelines report should be taken into account when reviewing building codes and planning procedures
9. District and Local DISPLANs should be revised to take into account the risk of landslides in the Alpine area
10. All DISPLANs should be reviewed to ensure they reflect appropriately the risk of landslides in relevant areas