The proposed $200 million Fiordland Link Experience Project would create more than 1000 construction and operational jobs and bring $82.5 million a year into the New Zealand economy, an economic report on the project says.

Wanaka-based Riverstone Holdings Ltd, the company behind the project, commissioned an analysis by economists Brown, Copeland and Co on the employment and income effects of the proposed project, which is a combination of catamaran, all-terrain vehicle and monorail services linking Queenstown and Te Anau Downs.

The report released by Riverstone yesterday concluded at the national level, during the two-and-a-half-year construction period, the project would generate an estimated extra 313 fulltime-equivalent (FTE) jobs and $23.5 million a year in additional income.

It is estimated the project would generate an extra 747 FTE jobs and $38.2 million a year in additional income once it was operational, from 2016 onwards.

Report author Michael Copeland said that national employment and incomes had been conservatively estimated in that no account was taken of additional spending time for tourists, international tourists extending the duration of their stay in New Zealand or more tourists visiting the South Island, as well as the North Island.

Nor was any account taken of the project encouraging New Zealanders to visit Queenstown and Fiordland instead of overseas tourist destinations.

The report did not examine the regional economic impact of the project, but noted it would be proportionately larger than the national effects, he said.

Regional level work would be undertaken during the Resource Management Act stage, the next step in the process, but subject to ministerial approval of the concession, the company said.

Riverstone hoped to receive an answer on its concession application before Christmas, it said.

Managing director Bob Robertson said Riverstone had put forward a strong case from a planning and feasibility perspective, ''but it's also important that the public recognise the real economic benefits innovative tourism infrastructure like the monorail will bring to New Zealand through jobs and increased visitor spending''.

Mr Robertson said 45% of overseas holidaymakers visited the North Island only and they would be ''aggressively'' targeted

to encourage them to extend their stay and visit Fiordland.

''If we can convince just 5% to do so, even if only for two days, that's an extra $26 million for our economy,'' he said.

''Our aim is to beat these estimates and deliver $100 million in increased tourism activity for New Zealand every year.''