Council consent for Remarkables skifield faces legal challenge

Legal action is being considered after Otago Regional Council granted non-notified consent for NZSki to extend the Remarkables ski field into protected wetland. Photo / Getty

A Dunedin knight and botanist involved in wetlands conservation is supporting legal action over a regional council consent granted to the Remarkables skifield, citing "serious concern''.

On March 22, the council granted land use consent to NZSki Ltd to extend its learners slope at the Remarkables skifield. The project involved extending the learners slope, including the construction of two surface escalators, as well as track access to Shadow Basin.

Graphic / NZ Herald

The 100sqm wetland the extension is on was considered "regionally significant" due to its location and altitude under the council's own water plan. The consent was granted without notifying the public, documents show.

The decision not to publicly notify went against the advice of both regional council and Department of Conservation reports. Doc gave permission for the consent, despite many concerns outlined in an internal science report.

Much of the work was completed earlier this year, but a conveyer lift will be added in the summer.

The protected wetland is down the slope form the Remarkables base building. Photo / 123RF

The work site is next to two other regionally significant wetlands the applicant stated would not be affected.

Forest and Bird Otago and Southland central regional manager Sue Maturin said the organisation was "dismayed" the consent was not notified.

"It seems like the consent was rushed through against the advice of both Doc and ORC technical experts."

The project was "clearly not" regionally significant infrastructure, she said.

University of Otago emeritus professor Sir Alan Mark said he supported Forest and Bird, which was contemplating legal action regarding the consent.

Sir Alan has extensive knowledge of the mountain range's ecology through involvement in studies of the area starting in the 1970s. He was also involved in a task force in the 1980s assessing wetlands nationally, which is partly responsible for the legal protection they get now.

He had "serious concerns'' about the consent and was disappointed Doc granted permission, he said.

Doc has defended granting permission, saying it was comfortable the effects could be mitigated by NZSki.

New Zealand's wetlands had unique flora and fauna and an important role in regulating water yield, Sir Alan said.

"There are some threatened wetland species in the area and they should be recognised in having national significance.''

The Shadow Basin was important in terms of ecological values, he said.

"In terms of water regulation maybe less so. It's the ecological value there. It forms a natural setting in the basin.''

In his work in a wetlands task force it discovered humans had destroyed 90% of New Zealand's wetlands.

"Almost all of them can be considered nationally significant.''