Charlie Steinbacher knows how his town changes in winter, when crowds of avid snow goers flock to the ski slopes.<\/p>\n
“Winter versus summer is like chalk and cheese,” the born-and-raised Jindabyne resident said.<\/p>\n
“Our population grows almost tenfold.”<\/p>\n
Jindabyne is the base town of the New South Wales ski resorts.<\/p>\n
It has a population of about 4,000 people but explodes with tourists during winter.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Most of the tourists travelling to Jindabyne are chasing the snow season. (ABC South East NSW: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n
More than 380,000 people travelled to the Snowy Mountains region between July and September in 2024 alone, according to Destination NSW.<\/p>\n
About one-quarter of Jindabyne’s 2,900 homes are short-term rental accommodation.<\/p>\n
Mr Steinbacher, who runs an indoor rock-climbing business in Jindabyne, said he had been priced out of town.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Charlie Steinbacher says the dream of owning a home is challenging to achieve. (ABC South East NSW: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n
“Everyone would love to own a home in Jindabyne where we all grew up, but it’s just not really viable,” he said.<\/p>\n
“There’s a lot of houses that just sit vacant for most of the year because they can make so much money through the winter.”Locals priced out<\/p>\n
Mr Steinbacher moved to Berridale, 30 minutes away, last year, joining a cohort of young locals.<\/p>\n
The average house in Jindabyne is on the market for more than $1.1 million and median unit rents have increased by nearly 85 per cent in the past five years.<\/p>\n
The median house price has increased by $300,000 since 2020 and is now double that of 15 years ago, according to housing data analysts Cotality.<\/p>\n
Unit prices have nearly tripled since 2010.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nancy Gant-Thompson has lived in Jindabyne since the 1980s. (ABC South East NSW: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n
Nancy Gant-Thompson owns her home but hosts a ski instructor as a boarder each winter to afford heating.<\/p>\n
“I really couldn’t survive winter here if I didn’t have some additional income,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s either a choice of downsizing \u2026 or sharing your accommodation and your home with people.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nancy Gant-Thompson takes on a boarder every winter to afford to heat her home. (ABC South East NSW: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n
Ms Gant-Thompson said she knew of many older people who moved to Canberra because of Jindabyne’s high prices.<\/p>\n
It is a regular source of conversation at Country Women’s Association meetings.<\/p>\n
“There’s not a lot of places available for rent,” member Dale Whitfield said.<\/p>\n
“I know there’s quite a lot of families whose kids have had to move away from the area.”<\/p>\n
Dale Whitfield and Toni Clarke talk about housing struggles at the CWA. (ABC South East NSW: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n
The NSW government announced in 2019 that it would create the Snowy Mountains Special Activation Precinct, a 40-year plan to grow year-round tourism and housing stock in the region.<\/p>\n
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development told the ABC the government acquired land in Jindabyne near the Southern Connector Road corridor in 2024 that could “offer an additional 500 dwellings” over the next 20 years.<\/p>\n
It said the “masterplan” for the future of Jindabyne would aim “to increase the variety of housing available” and improve supply and affordability.<\/p>\n
Short-term rental review<\/p>\n
The state government is reviewing short-term rental accommodation.<\/p>\n
Snowy Monaro Regional Council made a submission to the review, raising concerns about the impacts of short-term rentals on housing affordability but noting tourism benefits.<\/p>\n
“It is essential for the continued growth and vitality of the town that Jindabyne continues to provide tourist accommodation,” the council submission read.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jindabyne has one of the highest rates of short-term rentals in NSW. (ABC South East NSW: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n
The government said it was investigating the submissions ahead of proposing sector reforms.<\/p>\n