Time to remember those lost at Thredbo

This is not only for the miraculous survival of then-ski instructor Stuart Diver who was pulled from under two slabs of concrete 65 hours after the landslide had occurred.

At the time it was the largest disaster recovery effort that our region had ever been involved in and the nation watched on as rescuers worked through harrowing and dangerous conditions.

Those who have shared their stories with the Sunday Canberra Times to mark the 20th anniversary have recounted dramatic situations they faced in the aftermath of the landslide.

They spoke about the perilous conditions as they fought to find those trapped in the rubble and the horrible realisation that Diver would be the only survivor.

While the eventual rescue is remembered as one of the nation's enduring tales of survival, for the region and particularly the village, the landslide changed the area forever.

On the 20th anniversary of the disaster it is important that while we remember the miraculous survival of Diver, we too remember the eighteen victims who died beneath the rubble of the ski lodges.

For the families and friends of the victims, many of whom were residents of the Thredbo area, this day will be another painful reminder of a tragedy that should never have happened.

Seven years after the disaster the NSW Supreme Court determined the cause of the landslide was a leaky mains pipe and a road built on a vulnerable slope of debris.

The court found the landslide was caused by a combination of the marginal stability of the slope above Carinya Lodge, the existence and state of the Alpine Way, the failure to improve the stability of the slope above Carinya and leakage from the water main. It was of little comfort to families left broken by the loss of their loved ones. Thoughts are with these families and victims on Sunday.