New Zealand — The Shire is full of interesting ski areas, but they can be tricky to get to. However, a developer is trying to create a housing development, two funiculars, and a ski resort that would make reaching the snow much easier.
Back in June, CRUX reported that a developer from Australia had been working on a proposal that would alter Queenstown’s suburbs. The new suburb, Fernhill Heights, would have 250 chalet housing units and would be reached by one of the planned funiculars. Next to the funicular’s base terminal would be a commercial and hospitality zone with a 1,500-person convention center.
While one of the funiculars would go to the suburbs, another funicular would access a new ski resort. Not many details have been revealed about the ski resort, but it would be serviced by a six-pack chairlift. The ski resort proposal would also notably include plans for a mountain biking park.
The group that’s behind the development is Bowen Peak Ltd. The leaders of this group are Guy Hingston, an Australian surgeon who lives part-time in New Zealand, and Matthew Hingston, who works for a private development company in Australia.
The benefits of such a development would include job creation and the ability to attract more tourists for a country that’s currently struggling. Some of the potential environmental benefits include the creation of a predator-free sanctuary for birds and the removal of wilding pine (an exotic tree) from the area.
As expected for such a significant project, an opposition group has emerged. Forward Whakatipu is opposing the plans, stating that the development would harm the local environment, infringe on culturally significant tribal land, the approval process is undemocratic, and it sets a dangerous precedent for future developments in the country. A petition, which can be viewed here, is trying to generate support against the development.
Another concern raised by locals is that Bowen Peak doesn’t receive a lot of natural snowfall, which makes its viability as a ski field questionable. However, it does seem likely that such a development would have snowmaking.
The Fast Track Approvals Act, a recently enacted New Zealand law aimed at accelerating economic growth by limiting regulatory hurdles, could help make it a reality. While this is a noteworthy development, it still seems like it could take a while to become a reality. Here’s what Benje Patterson, a New Zealand economist who wrote a report on the proposed development, had to say about the plans:
“All analysis in this high-level assessment of significance has been made based on assumptions regarding the scale and scope of the project package as it stands at present. Considerations related to tenure of landholdings, commercial factors (e.g. capital raising and delivery partners), and climate (including snowpack) have been out of scope of the analysis. As further design work occurs, and the project package evolves, estimates will need to be refined further. It is also worth noting that other potential projects, including other Fast-Track project applications could be received in the local area which might introduce trade-offs and have a bearing on more detailed economic significance considerations of the Powerhouse Funicular Railways Queenstown Regional Development project.”
Ultimately, it still seems to have a long way to go before becoming a reality.
Image Credits: Bowen Peak LTD, Forward Whakatipu
