Speaking to the Otago Daily Times yesterday, SSNZ chief executive Nic Cavanagh said he was happy the project had finally received the all clear from the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
"It’s been a long and very expensive process, so we’re glad to have it behind us."
While no construction timeline for the facility had been confirmed, it was eagerly going through the process of turning pricing estimates into firm quotes.
Wānaka Winter Olympians Nico Porteous and Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, who had made submissions at the hearing, were among those celebrating the council’s decision.
"It’s going to make a massive difference to their professional training and to the development pathway for athletes into the future. It’s a really good win-win for everyone involved," he said.
The decision was reached following a council hearing in June, where independent hearing commissioner Jan Caunter had tasked SSNZ with addressing specific issues raised by council representatives.
The facility, which will be used by New Zealand’s Olympic-level athletes, was recommended for refusal by a council planner and architect because the facility would be visible from multiple viewpoints in the valley and would not maintain the open character of the landscape.
Chief among their concerns were the red and white airbags athletes will use when performing tricks, which they said would be visible on a 300m stretch of Cardrona Valley Rd.
The representatives also said the facility’s proximity to the Cardrona Alpine Resort access road would create a potential hazard with passing vehicles stopping to catch a glimpse of athletes training.
Following the hearing, SSNZ made a number of changes to its proposal, including a revised planting plan that would increase the number of native plants to better obstruct outside views of the facility and allow it to be "more integrated into the landscape".
It also agreed to change the colour on the sides of the airbags from red to black, though only when the current airbags were in need of replacement.
Signage will be installed on the Cardrona Alpine Resort access road warning of turning vehicles, as well as "no stopping" zones in an attempt to curb curious onlookers.
The site will not be permitted to use any lighting setup, meaning the facility will only be available during daylight hours.
In reaching the decision, Ms Caunter wrote that SSNZ’s compromises had adequately addressed the council’s concerns.
"Overall, I find that the landscape effects will be no more than minor, based on the revised structural planting plan and the overall mitigation and revised conditions attached to this decision."
