6 Oct 2016

Push to house Queenstown workers in Cromwell fails

8:54 pm on 6 October 2016

A Queenstown ski-field operator says an attempt to house seasonal workers in Cromwell has not worked out.

Queenstown gondola

Workers wanted to live in Queenstown for the 'vibrancy' of the town, says NZ Ski Photo: RNZ / Peter Newport

A worker accommodation crisis in Queenstown is continuing to deepen, with new QV data showing house prices have leapt by 30 percent in the past year to an average of $950,000.

NZ Ski, which runs the Remarkables and Coronet Peak, tried hiring lodges for its workers over winter in Cromwell, an hour's drive away, providing transport back.

But chief executive Paul Anderson said it did not get many takers.

"People who come to Queenstown to work want to be in Queenstown. They're there for what Queenstown offers, the night life, the vibrancy of the town. So that's where they want to be, we've got to accept that as a challenge to make sure we can connect them with the right people who are providing the accommodation."

Mr Anderson said NZ Ski did not intend to build accommodation itself, but would support developers to do so as soon as possible.

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