Ski and Snowboard Australia will invest AUD$500,000 a year into athlete development, they have announced ©SSA

Ski and Snowboard Australia (SSA) is investing more than AUD$500,000 (£269,000/$356,000/€308,000) a year into grassroots development, the National Federation has announced.

The money is being spent on "participation, talent identification and development initiatives", with the figure likely to increase in the future.

SSA say their athlete development pathways continue to grow, through initiatives such as emerging talent scholarships, futures camps and the development of the snow-racer digital platform.

Michael Kennedy, the SSA chief executive, said the sport recognised that developing Australian talent and supporting athletes throughout their pathway is vital for continued success.

SSA hope the money will help them develop more athletes like Scott James, who won bronze in the men's halfpipe at Pyeongchang 2018 ©Getty Images
SSA hope the money will help them develop more athletes like Scott James, who won bronze in the men's halfpipe at Pyeongchang 2018 ©Getty Images

"SSA has always been committed to developing home grown talent and ensuring the next generation of ski and snowboard athletes are supported throughout their career," he said.

"Importantly, this requires targeted investment in the athlete pathway and the development of coaches."

Kennedy also announced SSA have created an investment fund, with a fundraising target of another AUD$500,000, to allow for further investment into "pathway programmes".

"Not only do we need to ensure that talent pool continues to grow here in Australia, we also want to get more young people participating and enjoying snow sports, no matter where they live," he added.