With the worker digs shortage remaining dire, Queenstown skifield operator NZSki’s increasing its supply of staff housing.
Ahead of its skifields Coronet Peak and The Remarkables opening this winter, it’s added another 24 beds to its CBD hostel in Henry St.
And it’s started building apartments in central Queenstown’s Fryer St that’ll take another 60 staff.
After leasing the former downtown YHA hostel in 2022, NZSki early last year bought the former Sir Cedrics Tahuna Pod Hostel in Henry St that slept 72 people across 52 beds.
This year it’s added another 24 single beds by taking over the ground floor that had been commercially tenanted.
"It wasn’t actually a requirement to meet the code, but we wanted to make sure the building is as safe as possible for our staff.
"And then in the summer when it goes back to being a hostel, having the sprinkler system makes us feel a lot more comfortable about having 90 to 100 people sleeping in the building."
Meanwhile, Anderson says work’s started on the first six two-bedroom apartments on their Fryer St property which will add "some different accommodation options" for staff.
"Some of the more mature staff might want to take a longer-term lease on an apartment or maybe share an apartment with another couple."
The company already has another five staff houses in the Fryer St/Hamilton Rd area, Anderson adds.
"The [general] rental market’s still really important for us, though, because I don’t think we’ll ever be in a position to house all the staff we have coming to work for NZSki or the other Trojan [Holdings] businesses.
"But being able to make a dent in it makes a big difference."
