Mt Ruapehu is steeped in cultural, geographical, and historical significance. Stories date back centuries, and are told through different perspectives, both in legend and historical record. The mountain is vitally important to many groups from local Iwi to communities and business as well as passionate mountain users.

Today, we are faced with the possibility of losing all that we have strived for in having access to the magic of our precious maunga - as Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Limited (RAL) is now in Voluntary Administration and facing potential liquidation.

RAL may have lost its way at times, but it was originally started as a community-owned non-profit with thousands of families putting up small amounts of money to own a slice of the skifields that they love. 

This administration is now at a critical phase - the major creditors MBIE and ANZ have asked the public if we want to contribute financially to the future of operations on the mountain - but they have not provided a way for us to engage with them on how we want to invest or how we can collectively ensure its ongoing success!

This petition will send a message to MBIE, ANZ and the Voluntary Administrators that we all can be a part of the future of the skifields. To that end, we are making the following requests of MBIE, ANZ and the Voluntary Administrator:

1. Skiers, snowboarders and mountain users should have a chance to own part of the skifields because community-ownership helps reflect the deep, enduring and personal connection to the mountain. Ownership turns an arms-length commercial purchase at a moment-in-time into a long-term personal relationship with the mountain.
2. Mountain users should have the chance to participate in the governance of the skifields. For example through shareholder voting rights or representative board seats allocated to stakeholder groups such as Life Pass Holders, RMCA and local community. Involving mountain users in governance will help ensure transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility.
3. The proposed new entity should re-invest any profits back into maintenance and on-mountain assets. The founders of RAL included a clause in the constitution which mandated that any profit generated by the skifields had to be re-invested into maintenance and on-mountain improvements (not stripped out as short-term profits & dividends). This long-term view of building an enduring institution was grounded in a love for skiing and a desire to build an inter-generational asset that could survive for decades and weather the storm. Recent issues aside, this prudent fiscal approach has endured for almost 70 years and should be retained (or adopted and updated) in some from by any new entity.
4. MBIE and ANZ should urgently engage with the mountain community and representative organisations. For example, in the recent life pass survey, a single $2,500 option was presented to understand feasibility - but this approach has risked alienating many participants, and we believe that more flexible funding options should be considered that can still achieve the recapitalisation of the future organisation.

Accessibility, affordability and broad public participation in mountain sports was a key foundation of the Mt Ruapehu skifields and the future structure should continue to expand on this approach. 

Learn more about how we are working to save the mountain, and stay up to date with the latest news at: https://www.savemtruapehu.org.nz/

As well as signing this petition, please make sure that you have completed the crowdfunding survey issued by PwC. We've had feedback from the community that the form is a bit restrictive and doesn't allow for enough types of contribution, but it's still the best way to let those in power know that we're all keen to support the skifields.

Please note that no financial contributions are being sought via this petition. There is no need to pay any Change promotion fee.