Operator secures 10-year concession to run New Zealand’s Whakapapa ski field

Whakapapa Holdings Limited (WHL) will be the new operator of the North Island’s Whakapapa ski field on Mount Ruapehu after the Department of Conservation (DOC) granted a 10-year concession for the site.

The concession is the latest development for the ski field amid concerns about its commercially viability following the collapse of ski operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL).

Department of Conservation Director-General Penny Nelson confirmed at the end of last month that the decade-long concession would allow WHL to run the ski field along six buildings in Whakapapa village for staff accommodation and a water pipeline easement.  

In a statement Nelson advised “DOC will be closely monitoring the ski field activity to ensure everything is running smoothly.

“Giving the rights to use such valuable public conservation land is something I considered carefully, taking into account the feedback through the concession process, including from iwi engagement, public notification and hearings.

“We understand it’s been a long road to get here and want to thank everyone for their patience.”

Uncertainty has surrounded the ski field following RAL’s insolvency in October 2022, after which it received several instalments of Crown funding to keep the ski field operating.

As reported by the NZ Herald, “WHL had effectively morphed from RAL, this time with the backing of The South Island Office - an investment group led by ski industry veteran Tom Elworthy that also specialised in property development and restoration”.

WHL Chief Executive Travis Donoghue told the Herald that he is confident that the business would not need Government support in the future.

With the concession granted, WHL is now moving quickly to prepare for the upcoming winter season.

Donoghue said snow sports enthusiasts would hear more in the coming days and would begin selling season passes as early as next week, before opening the ski field from 30th May.

He confirmed last year’s offer for free season passes for children 10 years and under would be in place in 2025.

He added that “improved snowmaking” will be important for the ski field, noting any long-term development would be decided alongside stakeholders.

A condition of the concession requires WHL to produce a “forward-looking” development plan after five years.

Donoghue pointed to the 28% increase in “first-time snow touchers” at Whakapapa in 2024 compared to 2023 as a driver behind the desire to turn the North Island ski field into “New Zealand’s alpine playground”, noting “skiing and snowboarding is absolutely going to be at the front of our priority, we‘re not gonna turn back on that rich legacy.

“But we‘ve got an opportunity now to create more experiences that sit between that, passive and active, and possibly turn that first-time snow seeker from a sightseer into a skier, but also host and entertain them.”

DOC will be closely monitoring the ski field activity to ensure everything is running smoothly.

Images: Mt Ruapehu (top, credit: Department of Conservation) and Whakapapa skiing (below, credit: Tommy Pyatt).