Cardrona Ski Resort Ltd has "significant concerns" about the legal status of its private skifield access road should a proposed plan change allow a new village near the Cardrona township.
Queenstown lawyer Russell Ibbotson represented the skifield at the council plan change hearing in Wanaka yesterday.
He told commissioners John Matthews, Leigh Overton, and Gillian Macleod the skifield's access road had a right of way easement, which allowed the owners of Mt Cardrona Station to use the privately owned road for "farming purposes".
However, the easement had never contemplated that it would be used by "more than a 1000" future possible property owners or residents in a alpine village, Mr Ibbotson said.
The council's proposed plan change 18 affects the lower portion of the skifield access road, which is owned, maintained, and upgraded by Cardrona skifield.
His client was also responsible for the safety of motorists using the access road and the skifield owners were concerned with how the plan change "effectively makes a public road out of their private road", Mr Ibbotson said.
A proposed layout for the new village contemplated by the plan change has an internal road which connects with the Cardrona Valley Road and the skifield access road.
His clients had concerns about the safety implications of any intersections with the mountain access road, Mr Ibbotson said.
Cardrona skifield was prepared to "throw all the necessary resources available" at to protect its legal rights, he told the commissioners.
However, that matter might be a debate for another day and another forum, Mr Ibbotson said.
Cardrona also has concerns about the combined service demands placed on infrastructure in the valley, such as water and power, which could impact on the skifield's operations, he said.
Mrs Macleod asked whether Cardrona skifield was interested in the "opportunity" available, and contemplated by the plan change, which would allow alternative access to the mountain slopes, such as a gondola.
Mr Ibbotson said he could assure the commissioners that his clients did not see building a gondola as an "opportunity" or a benefit.
Cardrona skifield was supportive of what was suggested by the council and also the development concept by Mt Cardrona Station Ltd, but did not see why the privately owned road should be part of the plan change.
