Taking advantage of spectacular lake and mountain views, the proposal also includes retail and hospitality venues around the bottom terminal, chalet-style housing above Fernhill and possibly a skifield on Bowen Peak.
The project, which has been lodged for referral under the government’s controversial new Fast-track Approvals Act, is the brainchild of distinguished cancer surgeon Dr Guy Hingston.
Dr Hingston, who is based in Port Macquarie, Australia, and has a holiday home in Aspen Grove, below Fernhill, is not commenting until the Minister for Infrastructure has decided whether to refer the application to an expert panel.
However, it is understood he has checked out funicular systems in Switzerland.
Other popular examples are The Peak Tram, in Hong Kong, which has operated since 1888, and the Wellington Cable Car, opened in 1902, which is New Zealand’s only remaining funicular railway.
It is believed Dr Hingston was looking at parallel funicular trams, that could accommodate mountain bikes, going up the One Mile Valley, with land in the vicinity fenced off as a wildlife sanctuary.
One tram would head towards Ben Lomond Saddle, from where a chairlift would take off to a small skifield on Bowen Peak.
The peak is occasionally used for heliskiing when the snow was suitable, and otherwise for heli-mountain biking.
The other funicular railway would veer off to the top of Fernhill, where Dr Hingston is proposing Swiss chalet-style housing on a heavily-forested 56.6ha block.
Each chalet — conceivably about 200 — would have four units, comprising a mix of affordable locals’ housing and visitor accommodation.
The block, one of Queenstown’s privately-owned land holdings, was bought by local developer Min Yang’s Passion Development Ltd for only $1,700,800 in 2016.
By contrast, the local council recently sold the final block of its Queenstown Hill Commonage land — 9.7ha — for $33 million.
Mr Yang was also behind the stalled Jade Lake apartment development just below, off Wynyard Cr — his company Triple Connection Ltd was last month placed in liquidation by an unpaid creditor.
Mr Yang also owns Queenstown’s King Made Noodles restaurant.
Two controversial local projects which have already made the fast-track priority list, for consideration by expert panels, are a 780-house development below Coronet Peak, including a gondola and two schools, and a 900-home subdivision in Gibbston.
Asked about this latest fast-track application, a Ministry for the Environment communications advisor said they did not provide information until the Minister for Infrastructure had decided to refer it to expert panels.
