Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground Ltd has spent $1.4 million on the Pisa Range track to provide manufacturers of cars and car components with a surface on which to test their braking, traction and stability control systems.
General manager Shaun Gilbertson said snow this week was holding up the last of the tussock-planting but the earthmoving work would be finished in about a week.
Mr Gilbertson said the 1km-long, 50m-wide track would be the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere available to car manufacturers.
''It's completely circular, so they can put their car into a drift and then they can assess the stability as it drives around in a constant curve with constant pressures on it.''
The track is not due to be used until July, when it will be covered with a layer of ''hard-packed'' snow to simulate winter road surfaces in the northern hemisphere.
It is expected cars will travel at up to about 110kmh on the track during testing.
Cars reach up to 160kmh on other proving ground tracks.
''The rest of the world is actually quite used to driving quite fast on snow and ice,'' Mr Gilbertson said.
A snow bank will be formed along the outside edge to keep cars on the new track, and a fence will be built to keep skiers off.
The track has been built to exacting standards and has just half a degree of slope towards the centre, for drainage purposes.
Mr Gilbertson said between 30 and 40 companies would use the proving ground this winter.
''All the big names from all over the world.''
Testing crews generally consisted of between two and 15 engineers and technicians who stayed for seven to 10 days.
Mr Gilbertson said although the testing crews were in the region to work and were therefore not big-spending tourists, they made considerable use of the local transport and data infrastructure and accounted for 5000 bed nights in the Lakes District during the two-month winter testing season.
''And they love their fishing and golf. They go mad on that.''
