Tourism bosses are increasingly concerned the state government’s mandatory negative Covid-19 testing requirement is deterring Melburnians from the slopes.While popular NSW ski locations Thredbo and Perisher experience some of their biggest ever weekends, Victoria’s big three resorts – Mt Buller, Falls Creek and Mt Hotham – face even more uncertainty.Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief Felicia Mariani said senior ski industry figures had expressed concern about staff shortages.“There is real concern that we will start to see a haemorrhaging of staff,” Ms Mariani said.“I know businesses are losing staff left, right and centre. Employees will start to look to NSW where there are no restrictions to trade. “The uncertainty of this week-to-week evolution of easing restrictions is actually wreaking havoc across the whole industry, well beyond the ski fields.“It’s creating a great deal of uncertainty for the industry because staff naturally need to move and consider where they’re going to find more stability.”Mt Buller business owner Rob Aivatoglou said the quiet start to the snow season had prompted staff to walk.“Most staff are for the minute hanging around but with little work for them, they won’t stick around,” he said.Mr Aivatoglou said there had been a “shuffle” of staff at the resort. “Staff have either not arrived when expected or decided to move on to seek new opportunities,” he said.Ms Mariani said the issue could lead to long-term staffing issues.“It poses the problem that when restrictions are finally eased, we’re not going to have the staff available to meet the demand,” he said. “But right now the issue they’re dealing with is a litany of cancellations because people just aren’t prepared to get a Covid test to travel.”While Victorians must be tested and isolate to visit ski fields in their home state, they face no restrictions at NSW ski fields.Frankston South’s Mark Jackson headed to Falls Creek with his family on Friday morning but said having to get tested beforehand was “a pain in the arse”.“It was frustrating because we pulled the kids out of school to get tested, but then found out the next day that kids under 12 don’t need to get tested,” Mr Jackson said. He said having to travel to Mornington for a swab and queuing for an hour was a “hassle”.“And I initially thought I wasn’t able to work the next day,” he said. “Lack of communication as per normal.”Opposition tourism spokeswoman Cindy McLeish said ski resorts had been “blindsided” by the state government. “People don’t need a negative Covid-19 test to do any other activity in Victoria. It is simply unfair. We need to provide an even playing field,” Ms McLeish said.“It’s not just the resorts suffering, it’s the towns and communities nearby that rely heavily on visitation. The last thing ski resorts need is for people to stay away during their busy season as they try to get back on their feet.”Acting Premier James Merlino maintained the testing requirement was the “best, most common sense” response to the higher level of risk on the mountain.“I understand it’s an additional ask on our resorts. I understand it has an impact, but it’s better to do that and keep our ski season going … I know it’s difficult but I think it’s the best way forward,” he said.Mr Merlino would not confirm whether the mandatory testing rule would be enforced for the entire ski season.While NSW remains open to Victoria, Queensland’s borders are firmly shut to anyone from Melbourne.Meanwhile, a regional Victorian family who flew into Cairns on Wednesday were thrown into hotel quarantine.Queensland Health determined Meghan Sleswick’s family breached the state’s Covid-19 hot-spot rules because they caught a shuttle bus from Melbourne Airport’s parking lot to the airport.Ms Sleswick said it was “very upsetting” to be put into hotel quarantine despite not living in Melbourne.mitchell.clarke@news.com.au
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