A 1500-delegate international conference centre and a new suburb housing at least 2180 residents have been revealed as part of the planned Bowen Peak development.
More details have emerged of the proposed development above Queenstown.
Stage one of the proposal has been lodged for referral under the government’s fast-track process.
It has already been opposed by a group called Forward Whakatipu, representing "mountain bikers, hikers, runners and families", who secured more than 900 signatures in an online petition.
The fast-track process has been criticised for circumventing public consultation.
This week, however, Bowen Peak Ltd director Dr Guy Hingston, a renowned cancer surgeon in Australia, launched a website of 100-plus pages detailing his plans.
He also announced he was seeking community feedback by August 29 and meeting with the likes of local and regional councils, Fernhill Sunshine Bay Community Association and seven Ngai Tahu runaka.
The proposal includes a new ski area, doubling as a mountain bike park, a 200-hectare wildlife sanctuary visitor attraction and a 60 bunk-bed outdoor education building.
It also comes with two funicular railways branching out from a lower station alongside a retail/hospo precinct, a 500-park carpark building and the convention centre within the One Mile Recreation Reserve.
According to the documentation, the Ben Lomond Station manager supports the project, encouraged him to pursue the Bowen Peak Ski Area that would be accessed by a $25 million, six-seater chairlift and suggested the outdoor education building by the Saddle funicular’s top station, where there would also be retail and hospitality venues.
Dr Hingston has spoken to a Queenstown Mountain Bike Club founder, promising the project would not interfere with existing trails and in fact would extend the network — the funiculars would also transport mountain bikes.
A heads of agreement has also been signed with the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust for a minimum 5% of the Fernhill Heights sections to be given to the trust for affordable housing.
Much of the focus is ecological, including hastening the removal of wilding pines and replanting with natives.
And around the lower station Powerhouse Precinct — named after the restored, historic One Mile powerhouse nearby — there would be a 3ha predator-free sanctuary for breeding native birds.
The funiculars themselves are electrically powered with a solar contribution, though Dr Hingston was also open to feedback as to whether chairlifts, gondolas or funifors (aerial railways) would be better suited.
Arrowtown regional economist Benje Patterson, in his "high-level economic assessment", comes up with some projections, including the Powerhouse International Convention Centre (PICC) being anticipated to host 39,000 delegates per year — equivalent to one 500-1000-delegate event each week or three 250-delegate events.
Up to 175 jobs were associated with the Powerhouse Precinct and PICC and a further 150 associated with activities accessed by the Saddle funicular resulting in visitor spending, respectively, of up to $127m and $120m per annum.
The "conservative" estimate of 2180 residents in Fernhill Heights would be sufficient to house at least 7.6% of Queenstown Lakes’ projected population growth to 2053. If 65.9% of residents were in the workforce, the current percentage, they would generate $193m of GDP annually to the local economy.
About 1 million passengers would ride the Saddle funicular each year for sightseeing, biking and viewing the Ben Lomond Predator-free Sanctuary plus another 100,000 skiers/boarders.
According to the documents, development would be staggered over 10 years — 96 housing units would come on stream each year from late 2027 until 2036, the Saddle and Suburban funiculars would by operational by 2033 and 2034, respectively, the ski area would be open by 2033 and the convention centre — which would be in part two of the fast-track application — would be open for business by 2036.
Bowen Peak development proposal
Proposal includes.—
• A 1500-delegate international conference centre.
• A new suburb, Fernhill Heights, comprising 1040 units housing at least 2180 residents.
• A new ski area, doubling as a mountain bike park, conceivably hosting 100,000 skier days per year.
• A 200ha wildlife sanctuary visitor attraction, similar to Wellington’s Zealandia.
• A 60 bunk-bed outdoor education building.
• Two funicular railways (the $94 million "Saddle Funicular" up to the Ben Lomond Saddle and the $60m "Suburban Funicular" to the new subdivision above Fernhill) branching out from a lower station.
