Our history
SLOPES was formed in 1991 to resist attempts by the then Resort operator, the Packer Group to enter into a Head Lease over all Lodges and Hotels in Perisher Valley. The Club Lodges did not view a Head Lease controlled by a large commercial organisation to be in their best long term interests. A group of Clubs headed by John Grinham challenged this approach, and set up a new body known as The Ski Lodges Organisation of Perisher, Smiggins, and Guthega Inc, with the acronym of SLOPES. The group quickly attained 100% membership of all the 88 Ski Clubs in the area. SLOPES represented the Clubs in the negotiations for new individual leases, and in 1996, 88 new Club leases for 1620 beds were issued with an expiry date of 2025.
SLOPES having achieved their initial objective, considered folding, but many Members felt the need for longer term representation, even if the issues were not then apparent. What had become apparent was that all Clubs had common objectives, namely the promotion of snow sports for members by providing a community of varying ages and experiences who could cross pollinate, and encourage the young. The absence of a profit motive, and a congenial low cost friendly residential atmosphere, brought about true friendships and mutual support and skill development.
A summary of SLOPES’ major achievements since their incorporation can be summarised as follows:
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1995 – successful negotiations with Department of Health occurred on the amount of floor space required for each bed in club lodges.
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1996 and again in 2002 – SLOPES successfully negotiated a logical land valuation procedures with the Valuer General.
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1997 – SLOPES took a very proactive role in fighting against the closure of Guthega Lodges as part of the overall increase in bed numbers proposed for the area.
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2003 – SLOPES took the lead in finding an Insurance broker who significantly reduced the insurance premiums for all Club Lodges.
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2004/5 – SLOPES’ submissions to IPART resulted in a more equitable cost sharing structure than was initially proposed by IPART.
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2007 a peak activity period for SLOPES with the selling of 520 beds to Club Lodges and the renegotiation of most leases to 2057.
