Snow Sports NZ CEO Nic Cavanagh says the current state of snow in Wānaka underscores the need for a facility the organisation is hoping to develop at the base of Cardrona Alpine Resort.

The organisation has just submitted a tweaked resource consent application for a dry slope airbag facility for the consideration of commissioner Jan Caunter, following a hearing in Wānaka last month. 

“...I look out the door now, and I think of the lack of snow we’ve got. We’ve got people in Australia and the US because we can’t have high end training now,” Nic said.

“If we have the landing bag they could be at home training.”

The year-round training facility would improve both the wellbeing of New Zealand's winter sport athletes and their chances of future gold medal success, Nic said.

Wānaka Winter Olmpians Zoi Sadowksi-Synnott and Nico Porteous support the proposed facility. PHOTO: Chris Graythen - Getty Images

“The design has two run-ins, and two quarter-pipe bags. There’s a big air jump … and the other is for halfpipe training. 

“We’re covering all our gold medal campaigns.”

Wānaka Olympians Nico Porteous and Zoi Sadowski-Synnott lent their support to the proposed facility at the hearing (via a video link from the USA), saying it would benefit young athletes who currently have to travel to train.

Nic said the community is very proud of its Olympic champions, and it was interesting to present the resource application in the absence of any opposition from the community.

“During winter we would be looking to run [the dry slope] just about every day. Ideally in summer kids can go to school and they can train on the weekend. It helps us be competitive with the rest of the world.”

The dry slope airbag would not be a public facility.

Its proposed location near the bottom of the Cardrona Alpine Resort access road would provide an easily accessible alternative to training at the skifield in bad weather; and the terrain at the proposed site would need limited modification to suit the dimensions of the training facility, while providing shelter from the wind at a below snow-line contour, the Snowsports application said.

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) raised some issues with the original application at the hearing.

“Broadly speaking our application hasn't changed. We’re still applying for the dry slope and landing bag,” Nic said.

Some issues were mitigated, however, including an increase in the number of trees to be planted (from 1,000 to at least 1,300), and a guarantee of a minimum number of days (70) the facility would be covered.

“We’re still hopeful the commissioner will find in our favour,” Nic said.