Thredbo eyes new accommodation for first time in 30 years
Thredbo is one step closer to getting new accommodation for the first time in 30 years as the ski resort owner’s application to subdivide a site for development was approved by the NSW government to go forward for public consultation.
The ski resort’s owner, ASX-listed Event Hospitality and Entertainment (EVT), wants to subdivide land at Thredbo’s golf course. If approved, EVT would want to sell the subdivided land to developers on the condition they build a new accommodation precinct housing 186 beds.
Under the subdivision application, EVT also wants to redesign the nine-hole golf course while adding a new access road.
“This submission has carefully considered the NSW government’s objectives to boost activity in the region, whilst ensuring we respect and preserve the unique Alpine environment we operate within,” Thredbo general manager Stuart Diver said.
The proposed subdivided land would only be sold to developers that adhere to Thredbo’s development guidelines when building the accommodation, EVT said.
EVT hopes the new accommodation would let it capitalise on Australia’s regional tourism boom that persists even after the reopening of the once, pandemic-closed international border.
The regional tourism recovery culminated in Thredbo posting record winter revenue in the year ended June 30; the ski resort’s winter earnings rose 74 per cent to $42.1 million compared with pre-COVID-19.
EVT is pushing the subdivision application as an initiative that aligns with the NSW government’s master plan for a Snowy Mountains Special Activation Precinct, meaning it would let the company bypass local council approval.
The government’s 40-year plan, which came into force last year, aims to transform the Snowy Mountains and town of Jindabyne into an all-year playground with increased accommodation, glamping and helicopter commutes to Perisher, Thredbo and Charlotte Pass.
The proposed accommodation plan has been in the works for more than two years. During that period, the Sydney-based company has consulted various state agencies to ensure the new accommodation precinct complements the existing alpine village and surrounding environment, EVT said.
EVT’s Event Cinemas is also set to reopen its IMAX Sydney theatre on Wednesday after years of delays; ticket sales are already open.
The Darling Harbour giant-screen cinema, once the world’s second-most successful IMAX in terms of ticket sales, was meant to reopen in 2019 but the pandemic and construction delays pushed the reopening back four years.
