New Zealand's wealthy visa investors are helping build a new cable car in Queenstown

New Zealand's Active Investor Plus visa programme could help finance a proposed NZ$265 million cable car in Queenstown, with approved fund manager Private Capital Group reaching an in-principle lending agreement with Southern Infrastructure. The project would link central Queenstown with Frankton, the airport and Ladies Mile, while giving wealthy visa investors another avenue to channel capital into New Zealand infrastructure.

Wealthy investors using New Zealand's Active Investor Plus visa programme could help finance a proposed cable car in Queenstown after Southern Infrastructure Limited reached an in-principle agreement for around NZ$265 million in private lending.

The proposed lending will come from Private Capital Group, an approved fund manager under the government's Active Investor Plus visa programme. The facility would draw partly on money invested in New Zealand through the visa scheme.

The Queenstown Cable Car would connect central Queenstown with Frankton, Queenstown Airport and Ladies Mile. It is planned as a rapid public transport option for some of the district's busiest and fastest-growing areas.

The financing agreement remains subject to due diligence, credit approval and final documentation.

How wealthy visa investors are backing the projectPrivate Capital Group manages funds invested through the Active Investor Plus visa programme. Under the proposed arrangement, some of the capital brought into New Zealand by visa investors could be lent to Southern Infrastructure for the cable car project.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said the proposal could offer Queenstown another way to move people as the district grows.

"Queenstown is one of the fastest-growing parts of the country and its geography places some very real constraints on its transport network.

"There is only so much space for roads in Queenstown. As the district continues to grow, we need to be open to different and innovative ways of moving large numbers of people around.

"Cable cars are an effective option because they can move people frequently and reliably without needing another road corridor. They can also be built with considerably less disruption to the existing road network than many traditional transport solutions."

The cable car would give residents, workers and visitors another way to travel and could reduce pressure on Queenstown's busiest roads.

"The proposal would connect the town centre with Frankton, the airport and Ladies Mile, giving locals, workers and visitors another way to get around and helping take pressure off some of Queenstown's busiest roads," Bishop said.

The project is a private-sector proposal and still requires design, consent and commercial work. Subject to approvals, construction is expected to begin later this decade.

What is New Zealand's Active Investor Plus visa?The Active Investor Plus visa is New Zealand's investor residence programme. It allows investors to qualify for residence by investing significant amounts of money in New Zealand.

The investment can be made through approved managed funds, which then put the money into New Zealand businesses and projects. Private Capital Group is one of the approved fund managers under the programme.

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said the visa was intended to attract wealthy and experienced investors and direct more overseas capital into the New Zealand economy.

"The Active Investor Plus visa is about attracting wealthy, experienced investors to New Zealand and getting more international capital flowing into productive parts of our economy," Stanford said.

"Investors can qualify for residence by investing significant amounts of money in New Zealand, including through approved managed funds which then put that capital to work in New Zealand businesses and projects."

The government refreshed the visa in April 2025 to make New Zealand more competitive and encourage investors to put their money into productive investments.

Since those changes, 949 applications have been received and 496 approved. More than NZ$2.88 billion has been committed and transferred to New Zealand, while another NZ$2.26 billion is in the pipeline.

Around 70% of committed capital has gone into the Growth category, which is designed to encourage higher-risk, growth-oriented investment.