NZSki plans to significantly expand The Remarkables by pushing into the Doolans Basin.
On completion, the skifield will encompass 711ha, up from its current 449ha, almost doubling ski-season visitor capacity from 290,000 to 500,000 within the first five years.
Until now, Cardrona Alpine Resort has claimed the title of New Zealand’s biggest skifield — including Soho Basin, it has about 615ha of lift-accessed terrain.
Treble Cone is about 550ha, and NZSki’s Coronet Peak is 280ha.
The Remarkables’ expansion also includes a new 10-seat, 2.7km gondola, which will be New Zealand’s longest.
Construction of the massive project is expected to take four summers to complete.
NZSki chief executive Paul Anderson said once it was finished, the expansion was expected to create 1851 new jobs (up from 2592 to 4443) supported by The Remarkables and add more than $165m annually to the Queenstown-Lakes’ economy, boosting visitor spend from $235m to $402m within 10 years.
An independent economic assessment indicated total GDP contribution would increase from $115m to between $170m and $197m annually.
Having first revealed plans to expand The Remarkables in November, 2021, Mr Anderson said NZSki had now lodged its substantive fast-track application (not yet available on the government’s website).
‘‘Expanding into Doolans Basin allows us to create more room to ski, ride and explore in a world-class, multi-valley ski resort that supports the long-term resilience of skiing in Queenstown,’’ he said.
‘‘It means more terrain, fewer lift queues and a better experience for everyone.
‘‘This project caters both for our growing local community as well as the increasing number of ski tourists; it’s about meeting the demand in a responsible way while protecting the future of skiing on our maunga.’’
The expansion project would include an extra 262ha of skiable terrain, into a valley next to Rastus Burn, enabling visitor capacity to increase from 3500 to 6000 skiers a day.
The Doolans would include a full mix of terrain and a dedicated learner space, to spread people across the mountain.
‘‘The Doolans Basin is higher and southeast-facing, offering more reliable snow,’’ Mr Anderson said.
‘‘Expanding into this terrain is intended to strengthen the resilience of winter operations as climate and weather patterns change.’’
The new gondola would connect the Doolans Basin with the Rastus Burn, docking into the current base building — a new hospitality building and facilities were also planned at Doolans.And there would be infrastructure upgrades to support increased use, including improvements at the State Highway 6 intersection, along with enhanced bus and shuttle facilities.
Mr Anderson said the project had been designed to minimise environmental impact, with construction areas consolidated, sensitive ecological habitats protected, and water management plans developed with ‘‘expert advisers’’.
‘‘We know The Remarkables is an important part of life here in Queenstown,’’ Mr Anderson said.
‘‘As we take this next step, we’ll continue working closely with our community to create a better Remarkables experience to enjoy for generations to come.’’
• The Remarkables and Coronet Peak are scheduled to open for full mountain operations next Saturday.
