Vital chairlift

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 527, 15 March 1994, Page 4

Vital chairlift

# In last week' s Bulletin you carried a story about the proposed new chairlift on the Turoa skifield and reported that this would, among other things "enable the resort to open sooner and close later and thus benefit the local (Waimarino) community by providing more employment opportunities in service industries for longer periods". Presumably the ability to open the season earlier and close later is because the chairlift would provide access to snow-levels at a higher altitude which would otherwise be denied to intermediate and beginner skiers on the traditional nursery-slopes at the base of the skifield? According to your report the application from Turoa Ski Resort included the statement "... the proposed chairlift was vital to the continued viability of the Ski Resort following three poor seasons from which

they were still recovering". While it would be hard to imagine the skifield actually closing down if the chairlift is not to be built, the above statement does imply that the 'continued viability of the Ski Resort' could not be guaranteed and may be at risk. The effect of such an event would be catastrophic for the Waimarino. I cannot therefore understand the objection to the proposed chairlift from the local iwi (the Ngati Rangi Trust) on the grounds that ownership of the land should be decided before any approval be given for the new chairlift. Firstly, the new chairlift would be within the skifield area already occupied and operated by Turoa and secondly , is not the Ngati Rangi Trust concerned with the future viability of this community including employment opportunities for its young people? If one of the three major employers in the region (the other two being forestry and market gardening) was to cease or curtail its operations, Ohakune could revert

to the ghost-town it was 1 520 years ago before the skifield was established.

Gerald .

Alexander