Media Release: Queenstown Cable Car project targets congestion as local leader joins the team
PRESS RELEASE
QUEENSTOWN 10 AUGUST 2026: Queenstown’s growing traffic problem could soon be eased, with the development of a new public transport system gaining momentum — and respected local expertise now helping lead the charge.
Queenstown Cable Car is announcing the appointment of local industry leader Toby Arnott as Establishment General Manager bringing deep community ties and a strong understanding of how the town has evolved.
The project is led and funded by local firm Southern Infrastructure and CEO Ross Copland says the project is focused on delivering an immediate solution to one of Queenstown’s most pressing issues in a district where population has doubled in the past 12 years.
“The cable car project is equivalent to a bus every minute connecting the busiest parts of town. Most importantly, it can provide immediate relief with a build programme of just two years. In an era where project durations are usually measured in decades, that’s an important point of difference. We’re getting overwhelming feedback from locals and businesses that we just need to get on with it so that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Toby, who was born and bred in Queenstown, says the project is both timely and necessary.
“I remember Queenstown before congestion became part of daily life — when getting around was easy and the town felt more connected. Growth has brought incredible opportunities, but also real pressure on infrastructure. This project is about making it easier for everyone to get around the district so they can enjoy what makes Queenstown special,” he says.
“Bringing my operational experience to a project this important, in my own backyard, is exactly the challenge I wanted. I look forward to building a strong local team and earning the trust of the Queenstown community.”
The proposed cable car system will provide a reliable, high-capacity transport alternative, reducing pressure on roads while enhancing the overall visitor and resident experience.
Ross says having Toby on board strengthens the project’s connection to the community.
“It’s important that this project is grounded in local insight. Toby understands Queenstown — where it’s come from and where it needs to go — and that perspective is invaluable as we move forward.
"It’s a huge win for us to secure someone of Toby’s calibre to establish the cable car operation. Toby has a huge work ethic, attention to detail and a genuine commitment to excellence honed over years of executive roles in the ski industry.”
With more than 27 years’ experience working across alpine resorts in New Zealand, Japan and the United States, Toby brings a huge amount of real-world know-how to the role. He’s spent his career in and around passenger ropeways, with deep experience in safety, asset management and delivering major infrastructure projects — all highly relevant to the cable car project.
Toby has held senior roles with NZSki, Treble Cone and California’s Sugar Bowl Resort, leading everything from lift operations and engineering to weather and risk management, as well as major capital projects and large teams on the ground. He also brings strong commercial and governance experience, having run busy visitor operations where safety, reliability and earning people’s trust really matter.
The project was referred under the Fast Track Approvals Act in April this year and is targeting opening in the 2029/30 summer.
ENDS
About the Queenstown Cable Car project
The Queenstown Cable Car is a proposed fully electric passenger network designed to move people above the road corridor, independently of road congestion. The project is in detailed design and consenting, and is building the operating capability required to run the network safely and reliably from opening day.
About Southern Infrastructure
Southern Infrastructure is a Queenstown-based private infrastructure development company established to deliver complex, high-impact projects that improve long-term social, environmental and economic outcomes in the Southern Lakes region. It is developing the Queenstown Cable Car — a fully electric network designed to carry up to 3,000 passengers per hour in each direction, above the road corridor — alongside a wider programme of regional infrastructure.
For further information contact:
Tracey Mehrtens
Accento Communications