Banned from skifield facilities for eating own lunch, claims shuttle operator

Thursday, 20 September 2018

Colin Baker attended a meeting at Whakapapa with a support person where RAL chief executive Ross Copland issued him with a trespass notice.

A shuttle operator who ate his own sandwiches at the Tūroa skifield cafe has had his ski pass cancelled and been trespassed from ski area facilities.

Colin Baker of Ruapehu Scenic Shuttles was called to a meeting on Wednesday at Whakapapa skifield with Ross Copland, the chief executive of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL).

He was issued with a trespass notice and a letter which pointed out that he had had a history of disputes with RAL staff and contacting media.

Baker used to work for RAL's road services crew over a decade ago and has feuded with management over the years.

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In July, he publicly questioned the maintenance of RAL's buses after one crashed on the road to Tūroa, killing 11-year-old Hannah Francis.

No specific reason was given for the trespass order, which lasts for two years and applies to both Tūroa and Whakapapa skifields, although the letter referred to Baker's 'conduct' at Tūroa on Friday, September 14.

Baker said on that day he had argued with the supervisor of the Alpine Cafe, who told him he couldn't eat his own food there.

The issue of visitors eating their own food at the cafe has blown up this season, with several people complaining about the policy on internet message boards.

Senior constable John Tito of Taumarunui police was present at the meeting between Copland and Baker. He said he would arrest Baker if he breached the trespass notice by setting foot on RAL facilities such as buildings or chairlifts.

Mt Ruapehu is a National Park and World Heritage area and RAL has a concession to operate there, rather than a lease.

Baker has a concession from the Department of Conservation to operate his shuttle business on the mountain and also had a season ski pass. RAL has refunded him $87 of the $349 cost of the pass.

Baker asked repeatedly on what grounds he was being banned but Copland refused to say.

Baker told Stuff he assumed it related to an incident at the Alpine Cafe at Tūroa. He had been skiing with his daughter and her friends from Ruapehu College and went into the cafe for lunch.

His daughter told him one of her friends had left when he was threatened with having his life pass taken away if he ate his own lunch there.

Shuttle operator Colin Baker has been banned from Whakapapa and Turoa ski area facilities.

'I got my sandwiches and flask out of my bag … the next minute I had the supervisor of the cafe come out and say 'Colin, you've got to leave'.

'He ranted on about the fact I was eating my own food, I'd have to put my sandwiches back in my bag, it was against company policy.

'I just said 'nah, I'm not leaving.'

He denied he was abusive to the manager.

Baker said he had given his daughter $10.50 to buy a punnet of chips for the table, so he couldn't be accused of not buying anything from the cafe.

'It took over half an hour for the order to appear, by that time I'm hungry.'

He claimed there were no signs saying food brought from elsewhere couldn't be consumed on the premises.

Baker said the season pass code of conduct only covered the skifield and lifts and he hadn't breached any terms.

Ross Copland, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts chief executive, issued the trespass notice.

He was told he could continue taking passengers to the skifield but was worried about how the ban would effect his ability to do business.

He had sought clarification from the Department of Conservation and would take legal advice. He believed the decision was taken out of malice.

'I guess he [Copland] sees me as a threat in some pathetic way because I've spoken out against him.

'When I came out of that meeting I said 'he's taken it nuclear'.

'It's taken the heart out of winter - the only thing to do in the area in winter is to go skiing.'

Copland would not say what the incident was that sparked the trespass notice.

He said Baker had 'accrued an extensive list of altercations with our staff' including clashing with parking attendants, cafe and customer relations staff and members of management.

'Over the same period Colin has leveraged media to voice his many and varied grievances,' he said.

Copland, who became chief executive two years ago, said he had made a 'determined attempt' to resolve Baker's grievances, meeting with him on several occasions, inviting him to join the CEO's Forum, 'even buying him dinner'.

Already this year there had been three separate incidents involving Baker, he said.

'RAL staff have a right to feel safe at work and Colin's behaviour at both Whakapapa and Turoa ski area's over the past decade is no longer tolerable.'

Copland said the trespass order would not prevent Baker from operating his transport business, nor accessing the Tongariro National Park or Tukino Ski Area.

He said typically, only a single digit number of trespass orders were issued, out of the 400,000 visitors each year - usually for serious misconduct such as threatening behaviour and fraudulent use of passes.

Documents obtained under the Official Information Act show that Copland has been asking the Department of Conservation about his rights to ban people from the skifields since 2017.

He said in an email that people would often say RAL couldn't trespass them because it was a National Park.

Doc said in response that generally a lease was required in order to trespass someone.

'However, it could be that RAL is exercising enough control over the skifield licence area to be seen to be in possession of the area, under the requirements of the Trespass Act.'

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