Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, which ran the Whakapapa and Tūroa ski fields, went into voluntary administration in October. Photo: Natalia Catalina / 123RF
The Ruapehu mayor says a deal is close to being settled on who will be taking over Ruapehu ski fields.
Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL), which ran the Whakapapa and Turoa ski fields, went into voluntary administration in October, owing millions of dollars.
Four bidders had been vying for the contracts to take over, and Mayor Weston Kirton said government officials had picked the two they favoured to run each ski field separately.
He understood they were Pure Turoa, and a company linked to businessmen Dave Mazey and Tom Elworthy to manage Whakapapa.
Kirton said the community were excited about the developments, but they did not want to celebrate too soon with negotiations still in progress.
"There's a few unknowns to be considered, but it certainly gives confidence that we're going to see a ski operation this year in some shape or form.
"It's been delayed, and it's been a worry some people have gone elsewhere for skiing. The main thing is from our perspective is that we see a ski season, it's such a key part of our economy," Kirton said.
In a statement, the government would not confirm who it had chosen and said negotiations were continuing.
The backers of the Ruapehu Ski Areas Stakeholders Association, a non-profit, say they have been left out in the cold.
Committee member Sam Clarkson told Morning Report it would be a shame if the ski fields went into private hands.
"What I would like to know is have DOC for example, iwi, council, local businesses, anyone else seen the bids? If they haven't, then I don't think that's good enough because you just don't want one group to be judge and jury in this matter."
"We don't want to see it being turned into a private benefit entity without the correct consultation" - Sam Clarkson of the Ruapehu Ski Areas Stakeholders Association
He said the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment might be experts in business, but they did not have the expertise to run a ski field.
"RAL was a public benefit entity. We don't want to see it being turned into a private benefit entity without the correct consultation… My fears are that it will go from public benefit industry to private benefit entity, and that the money that is generated by skiers will be siphoned off into private hands and not returned back to the maunga and the future intergenerational joy of going skiing."
He said more transparency around the bidding process was needed to assure skiers and other bidders there was no favouritsm happening.
"Everything's been shrouded behind non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality, and because we don't see what the bids say there's no way of knowing if the correct decision-making process has been gone through."
MBIE has been approached for comment.