Incentives to car pool, disincentives to drive alone and hitching posts are all part of the Coronet Peak Vehicle Reduction Plan to be introduced this winter.

The plan is designed to help reduce demand for car parking on the mountain while also reducing fuel consumption.

Under the plan, parking facilities are being sourced at the base of Coronet Peak road and at Arthur's Point to facilitate carpooling. Hitching posts are to be established on the outskirts of Queenstown and at the base of the access road. As an incentive to people to carpool or pick up hitchhikers, single only drivers arriving after 8.30am will be required to park in a lower car park and will need to then use the car park shuttle to get to the base building.

Ski Area Manager Hamish McCrostie says the strategy is to manage available resources in the best, most efficient and most environmentally friendly way.

"Thousands of people each winter day leave Queenstown for Coronet Peak. We need to take pressure off our car parks and we need to encourage our visitors to use energy efficiently. We firmly believe that there's been a big shift in public opinion and people are willing to play their part in working towards being environmental friendly. Our plan is to nudge people in that direction while making the best use of our resources."

Occasionally last year Coronet Peak had to erect 'full' signs at ski area car parks, a situation which Mr McCrostie says was frustrating for everyone concerned and a waste of energy on many levels.

"The first step for us now is to work with available resources to make them as efficient as possible. We have to start changing our behaviour so that we are making the best use of our resources. For this reason we're asking people to work towards carpooling and reducing vehicle use when they come skiing or riding."

Coronet Peak is scheduled to open on June 7. Skiers and boarders will be welcomed by a fully redeveloped base area with improved service areas, new eateries and an expansive, 1800 sq m deck (triple the original size). The official opening of the new building is scheduled for Saturday, June 28. On June 29, the new developments including a massive snowmaking project will be celebrated with a Party on the Peak.