Queenstown's Remarkables skifield to expand over wetland

Thursday, 21 June 2018

Forest and Bird is angered the consent to expand the Remarkables skifield was approved without being publicly notified.

Environmental groups are concerned a Queenstown skifield has been granted permission to expand over a protected wetland.

NZSki asked to expand the Remarkables skifield learning slope, which would include building two surface escalators and creating an access track to Shadow Basin.

NZSki chief executive Paul Anderson says the company is enhancing the preserve, not damaging it.

About 100 square metres of significant wetland would be lost.

Forest and Bird Southland and Otago regional manager Sue Maturin said the lack of public consultation about the plan had angered the organisation.

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She said the Otago Regional Council and the Department of Conservation (DOC) had failed to protect the regionally significant alpine wetland.

The wetland is considered significant as it lies 800 metres above sea level.

In a report prepared for DOC, ecology technical adviser Brain Rance expressed concerns about the accumulative effect on the area's ecological values.

The project's impact would be 'more than minor' and would cause 'irreversible loss of the ecosystem present'.

He said he believed the proposal should have been opened for public consultation.

'The ecological values are considered moderate … however the ecological impacts are considered to be major.'

DOC approved the expansion plans, despite Rance's concerns.

NZSki chief executive Paul Anderson said the company had strict environment management protocols and had planted more than 4000 plants at the Remarkables skifield since it opened.

'We're enhancing the preserve rather than interrupting it.'

DOC Southern South Island director Aaron Fleming said expert advice was received before the plan was approved.

'We take significant comfort from our experience with NZSki over several years … and the effort it invests in revegetating tussock land and preserving wetlands within the skifield environ, combined with independent monitoring, that it can manage … this site and any affected wetlands.

'We recognise that the alpine area has many significant natural features and conservation values and we strive to protect these whilst recognising that the area is also a designated ski area,' he said.