SELWYN Snow Resort has today announced they will rebuild bigger and better after they secured a new 40 year lease with NSW Government allowing them the certainty to make such a significant investment.
After being destroyed in the 2020 bushfire, the Blyton Group, owners of Selwyn and also Charlotte Pass Resort, released details of a significant upgrade to Selwyn Snow Resort and it facilities. While they stated a significant investment, they would not divulge a figure just yet, but said it was substantial over a number of years.
The rebuild on-site has now commenced following planning approval granted by the NSW Department of Planning in mid-February 2021 for the construction of the visitors centre, as well as a range of other lifting, snow play and snowmaking infrastructure works. They had previously announced improvements to lifts and snowmaking.
It is still unknown at this stage if the resort will open in any capacity for the 2021 winter season. The resort said an announcement will be made in coming months of their reopening, but it would be a huge effort to construct the new buildings before snow started to fall.
Deputy Premier and Member for Monaro John Barilaro recently toured the former resort in Kosciuszko National Park where early construction work commenced to redevelop and revive the attraction as a world-class resort.
Mr Barilaro said thanks to a 40-year lease agreement with NSW National Parks, an improved Selwyn Snow Resort will be rebuilt with new guest facilities including a bigger guest visitor centre, doubled snowmaking capacity, lift upgrades, an expanded snow sports learning area, a new snow play wonderland, Australia’s premier toboggan park, tubing carousel, skating rink, kids’ skidoos and a miniature enchanted village.
“For decades Selwyn Snow Resort has hosted family skiing and snowboarding adventures, and when it was lost in the fires it was a devastating blow to locals and avid skiers Australia wide,” Mr Barilaro said.
“The work started now will deliver modern infrastructure to transform the Selwyn Snow Resort we’ve known and loved into a truly world-class family snow park, that accommodates more visitors from a range of backgrounds and directly creates local tourism industry jobs.”
The unprecedented investment at Selwyn Snow Resort will see the rebuilt resort transformed with brand new guest facilities courtesy of the stylish visitors centre and a range of exciting new products for sightseers and snow players.
One of the exciting new additions will be the creation of an outdoor ‘Winter Wonderland’, the first of its kind in Australia featuring a tubing carousel, skating rink, bumper cars, kids snowmobiles and miniature enchanted village.
Kevin Blyton, Chairman of Selwyn Snow Resort’s owner and operator the Blyton Group said regional contractors will be employed to rebuild the resort from communities such as Orange, Cooma and Adaminaby.
“The commitment of a new lease from the NSW Government has secured the long-term future of the resort and will enable my group to significantly enhance Selwyn’s offering,” Mr Blyton said.
“Our significant investment over the next five years will see the resort transformed and deliver a better experience for the snow play, ski and snowboard community.”
“In the aftermath of the fires, we committed to building a bigger and better Selwyn and we meant it. I’m very pleased that the long-term future of Selwyn Snow Resort has been secured. Selwyn Snow Resort has been the place for thousands of families to learn to ski or snowboard over the years and I’m very pleased that this will continue for generations to come.
The commitment we are making today is a significant financial investment, over and above any insurance proceeds. It is a sign of my group’s commitment to the long-term future of the resort.”
A new vision for the future of Selwyn Snow Resort will deliver on key objectives for tourism, product development and economic growth, by providing new quality recreational activities, facilities and experiences that guests will love for generations to come.
This transformation will see the reconfiguration of Selwyn’s visitor infrastructure, with the significant expansion of the ‘Selwyn Centre’ that will house all guest facilities and services in the one building. The new Selwyn Centre will house an expanded Ski & Snowboard Hire, enhanced food and drink offerings and improved toilet amenities.
The resort will feature unparalleled snow play experiences with dedicated facilities and services to support them, including the construction of Australia’s Premier Toboggan Park featuring a dedicated 150 metre snow carpet for guests to use.
The creation of a brand-new ‘Winter Wonderland’, the first of its kind in Australia, will see the introduction of a range of exciting new snow play products in the coming years including a tubing carousel, skating rink with bumper cars, kids snowmobiles and a miniature enchanted village.
Selwyn’s snowmaking capability will more than double, with the installation of state-of-the-art snowmaking equipment provided by TechnoAlpin. Selwyn Snow Resort will be the first snow resort in the Southern Hemisphere to install the brand new TT10 snow machines, which thanks to their next generation technology will enable snowmaking at temperatures more than two degrees warmer than the previous system.
Selwyn is currently undertaking a full upgrade of the New Chum chairlift. In addition, the Township triple chair will also be extended in the coming years to replace Powerline Poma. The snowsports learning area is also being relocated and expanded, with the installation of two brand new dedicated snow carpets.
Josh Elliott, Chief Operating Officer of the Blyton Group said that the rebuilt resort will be worth the wait.
“We believe the new Selwyn will deliver exciting, innovative and targeted new product offerings not currently on offer anywhere else in NSW," said Mr Elliott.
"We are fully focused on the rebuild and are excited for the future of the resort. An announcement will be made in the coming months regarding the reopening timeframe for the resort”.
The enhanced Selwyn Snow Resort will deliver the following new features and initiatives over the coming years:
Construction of Brand-New expanded Visitors Centre
• Re-configuration of what was previously two facilities into one enlarged Guest facility
• Improvement of Ticketing, Equipment Hire, Locker & Café facilities
• Contemporary ‘L Shaped’ Design, but in keeping with the landscape and terrain
• All facilities on a Single Level for guests, to improve accessibility
• Expanded Kids Club and Additional Seating for Guests
Construction of new Resort Operations Centre
• Significantly increased Footprint
• Indoor Storage for Groomers, Skidoos and Machinery
• Consolidation of All Mountain Operations Staff into the one facility
• Inclusion of new Ski Patrol facility, to facilitate ease of access from snow and onto road (improving access for Ambulance and Emergency Services)
Relocated Staff Accommodation
• Relocation of staff accommodation away from guest facilities
• Colourbond Exterior, Double Glazed Windows and Double Insulation to improve the Energy Efficiency of the new accommodation
Snowmaking Infrastructure Improvements
• Expansion of resort’s water storage capacity, more than doubling the storage capacity of the “Race Course Quarry”
• Replacement of water supply line from Three Mile Dam, significantly increasing the refilling capacity for the “Race Course Quarry”
• Installation of state-of-the-art TT10 Fan Guns, the first resort in the Southern Hemisphere
• Upgrade and replacement of resort-wide snowmaking infrastructure, including high pressure pump facilities
Upgrade of Lifting Infrastructure
• Full upgrade of New Chum Double Chair
• Expansion of Township Triple Chair (replacing Powerline Poma), significantly increasing lifting capacity and extending the operating season of Long Arm and Kangaroo Ridge ski runs
• Installation of two Sunkid conveyor carpets into relocated and expanded Snowsports Learning Area
New Website, Ticketing and Access System
• Brand New Website currently under development
• New Online Store to be introduced, enabling pre-purchase of all resort products online
• Installation of RFID electronic gate access system across resort
Australia’s Premier Toboggan Park
• Relocation and expansion of toboggan park, creating Australia’s Premier Toboggan Park
• Installation of 150 metre SunKid conveyor carpet, the only toboggan park in NSW to feature a dedicated carpet for guests to use
• Installation of dedicated snowmaking
• Creation of a platform for guests at the top of the toboggan slope
Creation of a ‘Winter Wonderland’
• Creation of an outdoor ‘Winter Wonderland’, the first of its kind in Australia featuring:
• Tubing Carousel – Utilisng both snow & a synthetic surface, the Tubing Carousel gives children under 5 the ability to experience a thrill in a safe and controlled environment
• Skating Rink – Utilising Synthetic ice panels, the Selwyn Skating Rink will be an activity that can be undertaken regardless of snow conditions. Enjoy a skating experience in a unique Alpine environment
• Bumper Cars – Utilising the Selwyn Skating Rink, enjoy the thrill of bumper cars in an alpine environment
• Kids Snowmobiles – An opportunity for kids 5-13 years old to experience the thrill of a snowmobile ride in a fully supervised and controlled environment
• Snowshoe Walking Tours – A snowshoe tour to show guests the stunning scenery of Kosciuszko National Park, perfect for those who haven’t quite found their snow legs yet
• Miniature Enchanted Village – Tailored for the young (and young at heart), wander through our enchanted alpine village. Look into the houses and you’ll never know what (or who) you’ll find!
Updated Snow Grooming Fleet
• Purchase of two Kassbohrer PistenBully 400 grooming machines, to facilitate the grooming of skiing and snowplay areas
Relocation and Expansion of Snowsports Learning Area
• Relocation of Snowsports Learning area to previous toboggan park, providing significant expansion in terrain for skiers and boarders to perfect their turns
• Installation of two Sunkid conveyor carpets into relocated and expanded Snowsports Learning Area
• Installation of dedicated snowmaking
Environmental Sustainability
• Ensuring all new resort facilities meet or exceed all environmental objectives and do not denigrate the integrity of the National Park and its unique alpine values
• Considering the development and use of renewable energy options to power key resort assets
• Reducing the resorts environmental footprint by developing and promoting sustainable practices and programs
When the resort was destroyed in January 2020, there was an outpouring of emotion from the wider snow community. Many previous guests had said how they learnt to ski or had taught their family skiing, or had experienced their first snow play at Selwyn. While it may be a smaller resort, it is a key part of the snow industry and an asset to the region.
This news will be welcomed by all in the Snowy Mountains.