Fight begins against Fernhill funicular
More than 1600 people have signed a petition to stop a "Fast-Track mega development" on Ben Lomond and Bowen Peak.
Bowen Peak Ltd has submitted plans for a two-track funicular railway system stretching from the One Mile roundabout up to Fernhill, Ben Lomond and Bowen Peak.
The development also proposes a new commercial ski field on Bowen Peak, with a six-seater chairlift, and a new retail and hospitality complex including a 1500 person conference centre at the base terminal in One Mile Recreation Reserve.
There would also be a 250 unit chalet-style housing development above Fernhill, called Fernhill Heights Suburb.
The project is being advanced under the government's controversial Fast-Track Approvals Bill, which sees applications assessed by an expert panel and approved by ministers, rather than going through the usual council-run resource consent process.
But Forward Whakatipu, a group of locals representing mountain bikers, hikers, runners, and families, vehemently opposes the plans. It launched the petition on Change.org last month and is writing submissions to involved parties including local MPs, central government and iwi.
"We see the fast track proposal as a threat to democratic process and our local environment," Callum Wood, speaking on behalf of the seven-member board, says.
"Tāhuna (Queenstown) is too special to spoil. And the reason it’s special is because of its beautiful landscape and accessible wild spaces.
"If we are not careful, excessive ‘over tourism’ will lead to environmental degradation, cultural erosion, overcrowding and even greater cost of living for locals.
"We believe in protecting wild places, enjoying human-powered recreation, and smart, local infrastructure that benefits our community and visitors alike."
The petition highlights the cultural significance of Te-Taumata-o-Hakitekura (Ben Lomond) and Bowen Peak, which sit within the rohe of seven Kāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnaka.
"These are not just landscapes, they are ancestral places of deep cultural, spiritual, and historic significance. As a community group, we do not speak on behalf of Kāi Tahu. But we acknowledge their whakapapa, their role as the mana whenua, and the importance of their leadership in decisions about this whenua."
Wood says the majority of people they've spoken to knew nothing about the development until they saw the petition.
"We have spoken with a lot of locals, especially in the Fernhill community. Although we can’t speak for everyone, the general feedback has been in opposition to the proposal."
Nine Queenstown Lakes projects have already been selected the Government's new fast-track development pathway. The Fernhill application has not yet been selected - it still needs to be referred to the pathway by Minister Chris Bishop.
Wood says Forward Whakatipu believes the whole Fast-Track process needs to be re-examined, as it risks environmental damage.
"Fast-tracking projects also bypasses established regulations, normal consenting processes, and community consultation and potentially undermining the rights and engagement of iwi as laid out in Te Tiriti o Waitangi."
Dr Guy Hingston, an Australian-based cancer surgeon, author and health speaker, is the sole director of Bowen Peak Ltd. He declined to comment until the referral decision is made.
