Special council meeting to discuss slip

Intervention on the Shotover Slip, located near Queenstown, could be undertaken if a special meeting of the Queenstown Lakes District Council finds favour with the proposal.

The council will meet on Monday to consider a recommendation from QLDC chief executive Duncan Field to invoke a section of the Resource Management Act to allow the intervention to take place.

The slip came to the council’s attention last month with the risk of collapse warranting closure of the area to all users and commercial operators volunteering to cease rafting operations on the Shotover River.

Despite geotechnical advice on 18 July that the failure of the 20,000 cubic metre slip was imminent, the slip remains a threat.

“The impacts on both recreational and commercial user groups are significant,” Mr Field said.

Although rafting continued on the Kawarau River it meant a loss of current and future revenue for the operators. “They have continued to have discussions with me about the various options,” Mr Field said.

Under the act the council was able to allow the work to be carried out on the basis that the slip had created an adverse effect on the environment.

Council would be asked to consider the intervention options, with the recommended option being ‘water jacking’. “This is the intervention recommended by the geologists as being most effective because it has the ability to direct water flow and create pressure points to escalate the collapse,” Mr Field said.

The council would be asked to approve taking water from nearby Shady Creek and piping it to the landslip via a disused water race. It would also be asked to appoint Queenstown Rafting to act as its agent.

“The commercial operators have promoted taking action and have developed a response plan. As council’s agent they would engage contractors to undertake the physical work, at the operators’ own cost,’ Mr Field said.

Commercial operators, Shotover Jet and Shotover Canyon Swing are not affected by the slip.