OIAD 4330 Response Browne DOC 7709073 1.pdf

OIAD-4330
28 August 2024

Connor Browne
[FYI request #27863 email]


Tēnā koe Connor,

Thank you for your request to the Department of Conservation, received on 31 July 2024, in
which you asked for:

“copies of the Concession (Lease and Licence) documents for active commercial ski
fields in New Zealand.
The ski fields that should be included in this disclosure are:

•  NZSKI Ltd: 35128-SKI, OT-34108-SKI, PAC-13-06-48
•  Mount Dobson Ski Area Ltd: 82598-SKI
•  Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Limited: 40011-SKI, 48601-SKI; and
•  Broken River Ski Club Inc: CA-160-SKI”

We have considered your request under the Of icial Information Act 1982.

Your questions and our responses are listed below:
  1.  Copy of the Concession (Lease and Licence) documents for active commercial ski
fields in New Zealand including NZSKI Ltd. Concessions: 35128-SKI, OT-34108-SKI,
PAC-13-06-48.

For concession 35128-SKI, I have released in part, a copy of the active contract (Item 2), and
for completeness the Deed of Variation from 2020 (Item 1) which amended that contract. I
have included a partially redacted copy of the active contract for concession OT-34108-SKI
(Item 7). Coronet Peak’s ski field concession PAC-13-06-48 expired in 2014, and because
the active concessions were requested, this document has not been included. However, I
have released in part a copy of Coronet Peak ski field’s active concession, 74167-SKI (Item
8).

2.  Copy of the Concession (Lease and Licence) documents for active commercial ski
fields in New Zealand including Mount Dobson Ski Area Ltd. Concession: 82598-SKI

I have attached a partially redacted copy of the active contract for concession 82598-SKI
(Item 4).
National Office, 18-22 Manners Street, PO Box 10420, Wellington 6143                       Page 1 of 4

3.  Copy of the Concession (Lease and Licence) documents for active commercial ski
fields in New Zealand including Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Limited. Concessions: 40011-
SKI, 48601-SKI.

For concession 40011-SKI, I have released in part the contract (Item 3). In December 2021,
the concessionaire was granted one five-year right of renewal as per clause Three, Schedule
Two of the concession. Please note that concession 48601-SKI for Tūroa was surrendered in
2024 and has therefore not been included. The active concession for this ski-field however is
109883-SKI, held by Pure Tūroa Limited. This concession document is publicly available via
the below link:

pure-turoa-limited-lease-and-licence-final-redacted.pdf (doc.govt.nz)

4.  Copy of the Concession (Lease and Licence) documents for active commercial ski
fields in New Zealand including Broken River Ski Club Inc. Concession CA-160-SKI

I have attached a partially redacted copy of the active contract for concession CA-160-SKI
(Item 5) and a Deed of Variation from 2009 for completeness (Item 6).

I have decided to release the relevant parts of the documents listed above, subject to
information being withheld under one or more of the following sections of the Official
Information Act, as applicable:

•  personal contact details of officials, under section 9(2)(a) – to protect the privacy of
natural persons, including deceased people,
•  commercially sensitive information, under section 9(2)(i) – to enable a Minister of the
Crown or any public service agency or organisation holding the information to carry
out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities,

In making my decision, I have considered the public interest considerations in section 9(1) of
the Official Information Act and determined there are no public interests that outweigh the
grounds for withholding.

You are entitled to seek an investigation and review of my decision by writing to an
Ombudsman as provided by section 28(3) of the Of icial Information Act.

Please note that this letter (with your personal details removed) and attached documents
may be published on the Department’s website.

If you would like to discuss this response with us, please contact Christine Butler,
Permissions Manager by email to [email address].

Nāku noa, nā
National Office, 18-22 Manners Street, PO Box 10420, Wellington 6143                       Page 2 of 4

Phil ippa Fox
Director Regulatory Authorisations
Department of Conservation
Te Papa Atawhai

National Office, 18-22 Manners Street, PO Box 10420, Wellington 6143 Page 3 of 4

Table 1 - Schedule of documents

Item
Date
Document description
Decision
1
16
35128-SKI Concession – Contract –
Released in part –
November
Deed of Variation
Section 9(2)(a)
2020
2
23
35128-SKI Concession – Contract –
Released in part –
December
Lease and Licence and Easement
Sections 9(2)(a),
2019
9(2)(i)
3
15
40011-SKI Concession – Contract -
Released in part –
December
Licence
Sections 9(2)(a),
2015
9(2)(i)
4
7 March
82598-SKI Concession – Contract –
Released in part –
2023
Lease and Licence
Sections 9(2)(a),
9(2)(i)
5
20 March
CA-160-SKI Concession – Contract –
Released in part –
2000
Licence
Sections 9(2)(a),
9(2)(i)
6
18 February  CA-160-SKI Concession – Contract –
Released in part –
2009
Deed of Variation
Section 9(2)(a)
7
10 August
OT-34108-SKI Concession – Contract –
Released in part –
2015
Lease
Sections 9(2)(a),
9(2)(i)
8
22
74167-SKI Concession – Contract –
Released in part –
December
Lease and Licence and Easement
Sections 9(2)(a),
2023
9(2)(i)

National Office, 18-22 Manners Street, PO Box 10420, Wellington 6143                       Page 4 of 4