Glacier gondola route rechecked

GREYMOUTH: The company investigating a gondola at Franz Josef Glacier organised a flight over the area again last week to recheck the possible route.

Skyline Enterprises, which owns the Queenstown and Rotorua gondolas and the Christchurch Casino, announced in September it was considering applying for a gondola to view the retreating glacier.

Foot access to the ice stopped in 2012 due to the danger created by the melt, which has shortened the glacier by at least 800m in the past eight years.

Skyline chairman Mark Quickfall and board director Grant Hensman flew over the area to recheck the route and consider some design features.

The company is working on a submission and application to the Department of

Conservation to allow the installation of the gondola under the Westland Tai Poutini National Park management plan, which is being reviewed.

‘‘We will submit on the plan supporting the inclusion of an amenities area for Franz Josef Glacier,’’ Mr Quickfall told the Greymouth Star.

‘‘This will allow Skyline to apply for a concession for the installation and operation of a gondola at the glacier. We will also need to apply for resource consent.’’

If an amenities area was included in the plan, Skyline would then apply for a concession and back it up with environmental, technical, economic and tourism evidence.

‘‘We continue to test the technical and economic requirements to satisfy Skyline the project is viable,’’ Mr Quickfall said.

Skyline expects to lodge its submission to the management plan review shortly.

The gondola system would run adjacent to and above the glacier, the towers being anchored to land and rock, not ice.