will need a DOC concession to be approved
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/queenstown-lakes/363775/second-gondola-planned-queenstown
It spends the money that was going to the Greenstone Highway
This time we should suport it
is that the same company who wanted to develop the hollyford road?
Unlikely but there isnt many pools of that quantity of finance
May not be tthe same company but fair to suggest they use the same banks
Had a quick look at the Porter Group Ltd mentioned in the article. J L Porter, R N Porter, and A F Porter are listed as Directors and Shareholders. Along with a trustee company a director of which is linked to another trustee company, however the quick search I did doesn't show any significance in that. The 3 Porters between them show up in 141 listings when a search of shareholders and directors is made against the names. From there it starts to get convoluted. Would take a bit of unravelling.
The majority of companies in which they have or have had an interest or involvement with are in the southern regions.
Convoluted set ups are nearly always tax related and any other thoughts on that would simply be wild speculation without a detailed look at all company's involved. Perhaps that is another reason for some people to set there business dealings up the way they do, it is too time consuming to bother tracking it all down.
The top of this gondola may be in DOC reserve but the main part of it is over famland and other highly modified country. It serves a purpose ie mainly better access to the skifield. Im not convinced about non ski use but they have to cobble something up for the business case. I cant see it having many negative affects beyond it being visable from the road but painting the gondolas drab green for summer and white for winter will reduce that
The Porters:
http://www.remarkablespark.com/contact-us/Our-Team/
Developers here in Queenstown. If I remember correctly, the three brothers bought most of the land near the airport a long time ago when it was just deer farm. Developed the Remarkables Park retail area, are currently developing it further with Hotel and Conference centre planned. Sold some of the land there to the MOE for a new High School. More recently bought the Kawarau Station (From the south side of the Kawarau river up the side of the Remarkables). Don't seem too bad, they have allowed the Queenstown Cycle trail across their land and put money into it. I've spoken to Alastair a couple of times, seems reasonably well disposed towards us recreationists who want to get out and about in the area. Be good if he got behind a public trail cycle/walking trail down the southern bank of the Kawarau, then we'd be able to cycle from Jacks Point to Chard Farm, Gibson Valley then come back via Lake Hayes or Arrowtown.
Probably have the money to finance a $50 million Gondola out of their own pockets.
I don't know how he / Porter Group fit in with John Davies/ Trojan Holdings/NZSKI group that owns the Remarkables Skifield.
Not the same people at all as those trying to tunnel under the Routeburn or Monorail up the Greenstone, I don't think those folk ever had any real money behind them (or a viable business plan) to go ahead if they had got consents. Their game was spend a million or two of other peoples money getting consents in place then hope to sell them for a lot more to someone silly enough to go ahead with those projects. Pay themselves enough directors fees in the meantime to come out ahead even if it all went flat, which fortunately it did.
This post has been edited by the author on 19 November 2015 at 19:49.
I could never see how the routeburn or greenstone projects were going too make enough money to be viable
This however does have a sensible purpose and doesnt impact that much on land that is already quite modified.
Would be in competition to the Skyline Gondola though. Bet they get one objection
Before you laugh at that suggestion go into the Johnsonville KFC (dont worry you dont have to buy anything) Above the door is an A4 sized plaque commemorating the historic building that stood on the site before KFC Aparantly it had been the first stopping point on the stage coach ride north from Wellington. It housed a panel beater and signwriter and possibly one nail was original. They were lucky to pull it down before it fell down. The plaque is there because of one anonymous objection protesting the loss of a historic place. One look across the road most likely identifys the anonymous objector right next to the petrol station.
they certainly like to dream big down there, with the monorail as well, you can often drive a trukck through the holes in the proposals. the claim for the monorail was they would need a ten metre wide corridor through the trees, when they really needed a 50 metre one and the mt nichols station road is impassable in heavy rain...
The Skyline Gondola and the Remarkables Skifield are under the same ownership. A Remarkables gondola would presumably be a benefit to the skifield.
I don't think the Skyline Gondola would be worried by a Remarkables gondola providing competition, they're in the process of rebuilding it to double capacity as demand is so high.
I'd guess John Davies (Trojan Holdings, NZSKI, Skyline Enterprises) would be supporting the proposal, might even be putting money into it, it would be hard to imagine a gondola to a skifield going in over the objections of the skifield. A big limitation on numbers of skifield customers is providing parking for all their vehicles on the mountain, a gondola gets around this.
