July skiing start essential

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 271, 24 January 1989, Page 1

July skiing start essential

New Zealand's Ski Council says ski areas must operate from the beginning of July to survive.

In a report released recently the council looked at ways to increase the national ski industry revenue and more skier days comes out as the most obvious answer. National economic benefits from increased skier days would be substantial, the report said. Up till now the highest number of

skier days has been just over 800,000 and the council says the industry should aim for a million skier-days. That number would generate more than $2.5 billion, says the report. Product reliability problems had to be faced before such figures could be met, said the report, including

the length of season. The council recommended a number of strategies to try to improve product reliability which included requesting the Minister of Conservation to have DoC and parks and reserves boards free up their attitude to rock and slope grooming. More slope grooming would allow ski fields to open earlier because they would need less snow depth Turnpage2

Skiing report

From page 1 to operate. Also, the report recommended the installation of snow making plant and the introduction of government backed investment incentive schemes to assist in this financially. The report also recommended the relaxation of the ban on commercial accommodation development within national parks and land controlled by the department.