Thredbo Announces New Six-Seat Gunbarrel Chairlift and Expanded Friday Flat Snowmaking

September 1st, 2026
An aerial view of Thredbo.Gunbarrel Chair, on the right, provides mid-mountain access from Friday Flat and the main carparks. Photo: Thredbo

Mountainwatch | News

Thredbo is set for a major lift and snowmaking upgrade, with the resort confirming plans to replace its Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line chairlift for winter 2028.

The resort will also expand its snowmaking capability at Friday Flat ahead of the 2027 season, with a second, higher-capacity snow factory to be installed this summer. The projects were confirmed by Thredbo General Manager Stuart Diver in an interview with Snowy Mountains Magazine this week.

Mr Diver said funding for both projects had been approved at EVT level, allowing the resort to push ahead with planning and approvals.  Installation is targeted for the lead-up to winter 2028, subject to final approval from the NSW Department of Planning.

“Hopefully installation for winter 28,” Mr Diver said. “We hopefully get some preliminary works done this summer, and then pre-27, and then have full installation and operational for winter 28. So super exciting,” Mr Diver told the magazine.

Gunbarrel chair provides access to Thredbo’s populate high noon run. Photo:Thredbo

The existing Gunbarrel quad chairlift will be replaced along its current alignment by a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line chairlift, designed specifically for Australian conditions.

The new chair will be the same design as the recently installed six-seat chair at Mt Perisher, with the project expected to cost in the vicinity of $35 million.

Replacing Gunbarrel chair has long been part of the resort’s infrastructure planning which also includes updating the Kosciuszko Chair with a more wind-resistant lift in the future.

Gunbarrel chair also operated in summer, providing access to a number of mountain bike trails.

Gunbarrel opened in 1988 and is an integral part of Thredbo’s lift system, primarily serving as an uplift from Friday Flat and the main carparks to the mid-mountain, providing access to the intermediate runs at Merritts, High Noon and the Antons and Sponars T-bars. The lift also operates during the summer mountain bike season, providing access to a number of trails .  Maintenance and obtaining parts for the aging chair could be an issue in the future and as it is such an important lift, replacing Gunbarrel has been given priority.

Thredbo is now progressing the planning and approval work required for the major lift replacement. “We are pushing forward with all of the planning that needs to be done for that installation for winter 28,” Mr Diver said.