National Discipline Committees progress 10-Year Strategy development

Image courtesy of Chris Hocking

Snow Australia’s National Discipline Committees (NDCs) recently convened in Melbourne following the Snow Australia Awards night for a cross-discipline workshop to begin shaping the next 10-year strategic direction for Australian snow sports.

The NDCs-representing Alpine, Cross Country (XC), Snowboard, Park & Pipe, Freestyle, SkiMo and Para-are established by the Snow Australia Board to represent, advocate, and connect each discipline’s community, from participation through to talent identification and performance pathways.

Working alongside Snow Australia staff, each NDC plays a key role in advising on discipline-specific matters including domestic competition structures, event calendars, selection and nomination frameworks, and the development of the sport within their community. 

Importantly, each committee is also responsible for supporting the development of a 10-year masterplan for their discipline, underpinned by a rolling four-year strategic cycle aligned to Snow Australia’s broader strategic framework and the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA) high performance strategy.

Facilitated by Chip Richards, the Melbourne workshop brought together Chairs and key stakeholders in a collaborative environment to begin this long-term planning process.  A key feature of the day was the cross-discipline discussion, alongside the recognition that while there are shared system opportunities, each discipline also faces distinct challenges and priorities that must be reflected in their individual strategies.

Following the joint session, each NDC met within their respective committees to begin building the foundations of their own 10-year strategic plan, grounded in discipline-specific needs and context.

The workshop marked an important first step in a broader planning process, establishing both shared understanding and discipline-level direction.