The report for the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) by Wildfire Management specialist Jamie Cowan listed the risk posed by wildfire on Mt Iron as extreme and said the landmark was "not maintained or treated in any way relevant to wildfire threat".
The report was shown to residents of the Hidden Hills subdivision, which is is on the northern slopes of Mt Iron and Little Mt Iron, but they are disappointed its findings have not been communicated more widely — including to the many people who use the area’s popular track.
Hidden Hills Residents Association chairwoman Megan Davies said what the residents had been told needed to be made public.
"If a wildfire were to start anywhere on Mt Iron, the speed of spread will be phenomenal.
"What can walkers on Mt Iron do if the fire goes from the bottom to the top? In the worst-case scenario we’ve been told that could be seven minutes," Ms Davies said.
Mr Cowan’s report, which was completed in November 2022, investigated the fire danger of 30 reserves in the Queenstown Lakes district.
Mt Iron and Ben Lomond in Queenstown were the only reserves in the "extreme" risk category.
Queenstown Hill was third highest, putting it in the "very high" risk category.
The QLDC announced the areas — which are all subject to a year-round fire ban — would be closed to the public this summer if the fire indices reached extreme levels.
This would also close businesses in those areas.
Mr Cowan’s report found that on Mt Iron there was potential for loss of life, evacuation would be difficult and actions were required to mitigate risk.
The greatest threat posed from a fire on Mt Iron was to residents and houses built at the northern edge of the reserve.
The council supplied a copy of Mr Cowan’s report to the Otago Daily Times this week.
"The report has not been circulated with the community as it is a report to guide operational decisions. QLDC is in the process of assessing the recommendations in the report to understand what is practical and reasonable to implement. This assessment will guide our long-term planning," communications spokesman Sam White said.
The council had been communicating about fire risks and environmental monitoring with Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and via social media, a Mt Iron newsletter and drop-in sessions in Queenstown and Wānaka, he said.
