Accommodation crisis cramping Alpine economy recovery

The ski season officially began across the Australian Alps this weekend and conditions were perfect for snow lovers. Some resorts, including Perisher in the Snowy Mountains, opened a week early thanks to a huge dumping of snow. What should be an exciting time for small businesses though, is under threat because of a staffing shortage, caused by a crippling lack of accommodation

Source: AAP

What a time to be out on the slopes.  Covered in a thick, fresh layer of white powder, this is the Australian snow scene at its best - and it's only just begun. With a huge dump of snow last week, Perisher in New South Wales has transformed into a skier’s paradise.   This is the first proper ski season in more than two years so businesses are, naturally, keen to capitalise. Great snow, and excited tourists should be the perfect combination but there’s one key part missing - a workforce.   The shortage is being felt acutely in the towns surrounding the slopes, like Jindabyne.  The median cost for a home climbed 50 per cent last year alone.  It's meant affordable, available housing for seasonal staff is at an all-time low.  And businesses that should be looking forward to a bumper season are instead preparing for the opposite.