![]() ![]() “Franz Josef people are desperate to protect their lives and assets and they’re fuming. The company also asks for survey plans and details of exactly where in the river bed gravel will be extracted along with the assurances of “independent experts” that SHG property won’t be damaged in the building process.Īn indignant Westland mayor Helen Lash says the company is effectively holding the community to ransom. “While Scenic Hotel Group generally supports the proposal to increase the height of the stopbanks by 2m, add rock armour and construct new stopbanks, it is concerned there are inadequate safeguards to protect the property and interests of SHG and to ensure its banks and insurers will lend on and insure a new hotel long-term.” Neither company lawyer Simon Johnston nor chief executive Karl Luxon responded to Newsroom’s request for comment.īut in a submission to the council, Johnston says the information the council has provided on the planned work is inadequate. That shows a total disregard for the Franz Josef community and its welfare.” “We are incredibly disappointed that the process has taken so long and then to find that its lawyer lodged an objection on day 19 of the 20-day period to submit. The other affected landowners - thought to number 17 - have signed off on the work, it says.īut chief executive Heather Mabin says the consents will now have to go through a limited notification process, a formal hearing and further delays, with Scenic Hotel Group the only hold-out. It’s understood the company received an insurance payout, but the high court action began in 2019 and remains unresolved.Īnd last month the company refused to sign off as an affected party on resource consents needed to upgrade stopbanks and protect the township in a $12million project funded mainly by the government.Ĭontractors are ready to start work on the long-awaited project and the West Coast Regional Council was hoping to avoid notifying the consents to speed up the process. Scenic Hotel Group is suing West Coast Regional and Westland District councils over the $30 million loss it claimed in 2016 when the Waiho (Waiau) River burst its banks and tore through its Franz Josef Glacier hotel buildings. West Coast leaders are accusing the country’s largest New Zealand-owned hotel chain of holding up work to save Franz Josef from another disastrous flood. Westland’s mayor is fuming as court action by Scenic Hotel Group delays flood-protection work in the vulnerable tourist town There is really little to do in Franz Josef other than the glacier and even less to do in Fox Glacier (30 kilometres away on a very twisty, turny road).Business Franz Josef ‘held to ransom’ by hotel company You can also fly over the glaciers (cheaper than helihiking, but still expensive). We spent 3 days in Franz Josef waiting for a break in the weather to get up on the glacier and just made it in on the morning of the day we had to leave. Often they are in clouds or it is raining and you can't get near because of the condition of the roads or the helicopters can't fly. Problem with both glaciers is also the weather. You can helihike on Franz Josef (costly, but highly recommended - you'll be right on the glacier for up to 3 hours, then soak in their hot pools as long as you want after). You can drive reasonably close to both glaciers and then hike a distance to get closer, but you'll still be a good kilometre or so away from the glacier's face when they post signs to go no further (danger, and I'd take their advice - people have died ignoring the warnings). Franz Josef would be my choice of the two. It's a good day's drive from either to the glaciers. ![]() Both glaciers are located on the west coast, halfway between Westport in the north and Queenstown in the south. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |