The internet has gone into a meltdown, again, over car parking “rights” at New South Wales ski resorts thanks to access roads regularly closing on peak snow season days when parking reaches capacity, leaving ski pass holders with nowhere to go.
There’s no doubt that parking access (and driving skills) to the ski resorts in Kosciuszko National Park need to be addressed but some keyboard warriors in internet snow groups have been racially profiling those with South Asian heritage for the parking issues with truly derogatory terms.
If we thought skiing and snowboarding was already an elite non-inclusive sport, then this public racial outrage from what we hope is the loud minority is not doing our sport any favours.
So, what’s the problem?
Some say snow play
According to some, the issue stems from “snow play”, the use of snow for sightseeing and joy by those who are not skiing or snowboarding. Snow play has long been considered the gateway for potential future skiers and boarders, and a crucial way to grow the sport. The theory being, enjoy the snow play, get comfortable in the snow, consider skiing and boarding next, then why not take a first timer learn to ski lesson and see if you like it.
Perisher has a free toboggan area where snow players and day trippers can enjoy some free family fun sliding on hills with the resort’s licensed area. While Thredbo shut down their toboggan park in 2018, they now have the alpine coaster and also the gondola available for snow sight seeing passes and an Adventure Winter Pass that combines both with access to the Leisure Centre.
Trouble is, snow players also need to drive to the snow, pay National Park entry ($29 per day per car during winter) and get a car park, taking up the spaces those with expensive lift passes believe are only theirs.
But wait, cross country skiers can also access free Nordic trails managed by National Parks and use the car park at Perisher alongside resort skiers and snowboarders.
So, you can begin to see the need for more parking capacity.
Some say resort car park capacity
Few realise while the resorts may manage the car parks, they don’t necessarily own them. National Parks owns the Perisher car park but the resort manages it with snow clearing and maintenance and New South Wales transport is then responsible for the roads and buses.
There are limited car spaces at both Thredbo and Perisher, they are all free but once they’re full, they’re full. There’s currently little opportunity to create more of the much needed spaces at Perisher who are still needing a head lease (Thredbo has one) in order to develop the long talked about 800 bed village with new parking options.
Thredbo offers car spaces across four free car parks with overnight stays and private parking for guests at chalets and apartments. Perisher has around 1500 spaces with roughly 1200 at Perisher and another 300 spaces at Smiggins plus around 75 day and 75 overnight spaces at Guthega plus parking at private lodges and hotels. Cars can also park along some road sides dependent on snow drifts, but this is “officially” monitored by New South Wales Transport.
But once full, they’re full. Other forms of transport, outside of driving to the resorts, do exist. Perisher has the Ski Tube (from $63 one way for an adult) a Swiss designed rack-rail train. It has the capacity to transport around 35-40% of resort guests on any given day.
Guests park in one of around 3000 Bullocks Flat free overnight car park spaces to access the Ski Tube. The Ski Tube is not cheap, but then it’s not cheap to run as the only rack-rail in Australia, but if you use the Ski Tube you do avoid National Park entry fees. So there is that.
Both resorts utilise the new expanded Snowy Mountains bus service from NSW Transport ($19 one way) with return services running daily from Jindabyne to Perisher or Thredbo every hour or every 30 minutes depending on peak times.
But even with all of these options, roads close and car parks fill.
So, what are the solutions?
The issue is that capacity simply isn’t meeting demand.
Thredbo already encourages staff car pooling and also subsidise their staff seasonal bus passes.
NSW Transport could turn cars back at the resort access roads if they have less than four people, that too could create even more traffic jams as cars stop for inspection.
A free bus transport system akin to USA resorts that runs every 10 minutes may be more appropriate, with all visitors outside of mountain staff, overnighters and ongoing travellers, taking the bus from Jindabyne to their resort of choice.
Perisher could charge for parking to try to reduce numbers (which would also create public outcry) but it’s National Parks that own the car park, so what we really need is for National Parks to approve more parking space development within or extend the resort licence and lease areas to develop more car parks.
It’s that simple. Right?
