BY NOAH JONES

Alpine businesses are in a fragile state after two COVID-19 lockdowns compromised the 2020 ski season.

Mt Buller was the last of the Victorian ski resorts to halt operations with Buller Ski Lifts (BSL) shutting down the resort on August 6, due to the stage three regional lockdown.

This followed Vail Resorts closing both Falls Creek and Mt Hotham on July 9, before restrictions forced it to close.

Duck Inn owner Aleks Stanish said due to the sudden closure of Mt Buller, both his staff’s and his own livelihood suffered as a result.

“You can't prepare for [the restrictions] that they did. We were given, I think three days...what can you do to prepare for that?,” he said.

Mr Stanish said he has seen a loss of 92 per cent in revenue compared to last year due to Mt Buller’s closure, causing him to let go several staff he could no longer utilise. 

There is also worry the cancelled ski season and the lack of income could have consequences for the remainder of the year.

“Last year, in summer, our revenue for the whole eight months outside of winter was three per cent of the total,” Mr Stanish said.

Snowfox boutique owner Kym Henderson raised similar concerns about her business’ financial position following the season’s end.

Ms Henderson said the recent lockdown saw Snowfox’s busiest financial period hamstrung as their main customers were unable to travel from Melbourne.

“All seasonal businesses, or most, have lost 70-75 per cent of their annual income [this season],” Ms Henderson said.

In an announcement on September 13, the Victorian Government promised ski resorts a grant of up to $20,000 to help cover resort fees.

But, Ms Henderson does not believe this grant will help her business.

The grants were designed to help businesses pay service charges to Alpine Resort Management Boards (ARMBs) but many Mr Buller businesses do not themselves lease their spaces from ARMBs, and therefore have no service charges which need covering. 

Even if businesses did lease their spaces from ARMBs, any other government support was to be deducted from the $20,000, according to Ms Henderson.

“I didn’t benefit from this relief measure and in reality I don’t think anyone did,” she said.

Mountain regulars have also seen their season disrupted. 

Roman Whitby is among them and said he had mixed feelings about the lockdown impacting the ski season.

He found it difficult to see other skiers in New South Wales enjoying themselves while skiers in Victoria could not. 

“It was Mt Buller’s worst snowfall since 2006, so in terms of weather and the snowfall, I’m relieved that it was this year and not next year,” Mr Whitby said.

BSL was contacted for comment.