Cardrona Valley could be the new site for running the South Island's annual Rhythm and Alps two-day music festival, and could be catering for up to 10,000 people.
Rhythm and Alps Ltd has applied to the Queenstown Lakes District Council to hold its music festival on land largely contained within Rob Rosa Station, in the Cardrona Valley.
The music festival evolved out of the highly successful Rhythm and Vines festival which has been operating in Gisborne for 10 years.
The Rhythm and Alps event has taken place at Terrace Downs in Methven, Canterbury, for the past three years.
If Rhythm and Alps was to relocate further south, it would occur once a year in the Cardrona Valley, on the set dates of December 30 and 31, and part of January 1.
The applicant is seeking a 15-year resource consent term for the festival, which would cater for up to 10,000 patrons.
However, in reality, it would take ''a number of years before this figure is reached'', the application from Queenstown's Southern Planning Group said.
The music festival would be held mostly on ground used for pastoral farming purposes. It would feature a designated camping area, with anticipated camper numbers estimated at about 3000.
Access to and from the site would be via Cardrona Valley Rd, and organised buses, as well as private vehicles, would transport patrons from Queenstown and Wanaka.
Rhythm and Alps and Rhythm and Vines festival director Chris Gillies declined to comment on the reasons for relocating the South Island festival to the Cardrona Valley until the shift was confirmed.
''At this stage we haven't actually made a formal decision that we are moving.
"Obviously, with the process of resource consent it's a little bit early to be doing anything public. We're just sitting on our hands and seeing what happens with the resource consent.''
Rhythm and Alps Ltd was in the process of talking to various people, including neighbouring landowners, to get approvals for the event, he said.
''So far we've had nothing but support from everyone we've spoken to and I can't imagine it's going to swing away from that.''
Recreation permits would also be required from Land Information New Zealand for areas of the festival site located on Crown land, along with a concession from the Department of Conservation for festival areas situated on marginal strips administered by Doc.
