Ski instructors wait months to return to SA as application backlog piles up

Seasonal ski instructor Ryan Harris travelled from Adelaide to the NSW Snowy Mountains in July expecting the ski season of a lifetime, but instead found himself in lockdown, with a long wait time to return home.

Lockdowns in Greater Sydney, Canberra and regional NSW decimated the 2021 ski season, prompting many seasonal staff to lose work and many to return home.

Mr Harris has been waiting for six weeks for his exemption to travel back to South Australia and was having to give up work opportunities in casual primary teaching back home.

“I’ve already given up work at the end of term three,” Mr Harris said.

He said people applying for an exemption in August weren’t told about the “wait times as long as 6,7,8,9 weeks” and believes the SA government should be doing more to speed up the process.

“I think they need to acknowledge that they’re not processing them quick enough,” he said.

“Either they’ve got to upscale so they can process them more quickly or just [implement] some sort of rigorous documentation that you need to show at the border.”

In a statement, South Australian Health said it was working hard to respond to the applications “quickly and compassionately.”

“Measures have been put in place to address delays in the response time for applications,” a spokesperson said.

“Travel exemptions are considered on a case-by-case basis and take into account local epidemiology including evidence of community transmission.”

The Southern NSW Local Health District said COVID-19 fragments have been detected in Jindabyne’s sewage during the last 48 hours but no positive cases are currently active across the region.

The Snowy Monaro is not currently in lockdown, but anyone with the mildest symptoms was urged to get tested.

Mr Harris believed the lack of positive cases should play a role in determining who can return home to South Australia.

“And people that are from areas here, where there are no cases, they could make it a little bit easier for us.”

‘Diabolical’ snow season

While the Snowy Mountains have opened back up from lockdown for the spring school holidays many believed the losses felt from another lost winter could not be recovered.

Jindabyne real estate agent Joan Bird said most businesses have seen over 80 per cent in economic losses.

“This year we have probably lost 85 to 90 per cent so that’s a lot of money.”

Perisher ski resort is remaining open until October 4, but Thredbo has made the decision to close early due to low visitor numbers.

“Due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions affecting the number of guests who are able to visit the resort,” a spokesperson said.

“This Sunday 26 September will be the final day of our 2021 winter season.”

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