Victorian ski resorts are ready to open for business this week after dodging a further tightening of restrictions for the season start-up.
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Chair lifts at the North-East's two biggest resorts, Mount Hotham and Falls Creek, will crank up on Wednesday with an influx of visitors expected at the weekend with the start of the Victorian school holidays.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the ski season could proceed despite the spike in COVID-19 cases in Victoria in recent days in a move welcomed by the ski industry which had initially feared the worst at the height of the pandemic response.
"Nothing has changed," Australian Ski Areas Association chief executive Colin Hackworth said.
"Social distancing will be observed and it will be a considered and conservative approach.
Leading Senior Constable Scott Baldock from Bright Police urged Mount Hotham visitors to obey restrictions.
"People have to book before they go up," he said. "It's how the resorts are going to limit the numbers up there.
"It's the social distancing people need to be concerned about as we've seen with the issues going on in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne.
"It doesn't take much for it to all kick off again and we find ourselves back to an even worse place than we were before."