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January, 2012 Prime Minister John Key has backed an extension for public submissions on two projects that seek to slash travel time and bolster flagging visitor numbers to Milford Sound.John Key, who is also tourism minister, said the backers of private tunnel and monorail projects, set to cost $360 million, should be commended for their proposed innovations, but concerns about the environmental impact of the projects deserved discussion in the public arena. "Any project that increases economic activity in smaller communities should be encouraged, but that must always be balanced with environmental responsibility, and the public submission process is an appropriate way to do this," he said. "It is always encouraging to see innovative communities back themselves, and entrepreneurial attitude should be applauded, particularly in areas like tourism, which have had a rough few years. "While any project has those who support it and those who oppose it, all care should be taken to ensure the right checks and balances are in place to protect our environment." The 11-kilometre tunnel project, proposed by private backers Milford Dart, is being touted as being able to get tourists from Queenstown to Milford Sound in two hours. The route to the tunnel would pass through Glenorchy at the top of Lake Wakatipu, head north, crossing the Rees and Dart rivers and link to a tunnel portal near the south bank of the Routeburn River. It would make the current nine-hour return route, which cuts through Te Anau, redundant to guided tours. Milford Dart would charge tour companies a fee to use the tunnel. This month the Conservation Department extended public submissions on each project by 15 working days. The department cited the volume and complexity of information accompanying each proposal as the reason for the extension, saying people needed more time to understand the issues and draft their submissions. Milford tunnel promoters are facing a tough sell now that residents at either end of the proposed route are voicing their opposition. Glenorchy residents have voted unanimously against a tunnel they believe could turn their town at the head of Lake Wakatipu into a pipeline for tens of thousands of tourists each year. Their opposition joins the chorus of that from Te Anau residents, with a vehement Southland District Mayor Frana Cardno leading the way. Milford Dart managing director Tom Elworthy said that tunnel planning was only theoretical so far, and no physical work could take place until the many statutory requirements had been carried out. The proposed monorail or associated activities would not enter the Hollyford Valley. Wanaka company Riverside Holdings' $200 million plan is to transport passengers from Queenstown to Lake Te Anau across Lake Wakatipu by catamaran, followed by an all-terrain-vehicle trip to Kiwi Burn and a monorail ride to Te Anau Downs on the Milford road. The $160 million, 11.3km one-way bus tunnel proposed by Milford Dart would take tourists around the northern tip of Lake Wakatipu through Glenorchy, then south through Hollyford Valley. Source: The Southland Times
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