Airport recommendation on council agenda

The Queenstown Lakes District Council will be asked to consider a recommendation on the Queenstown Airport Private Plan Change at its meeting next week (Tuesday), QLDC general manager Philip Pannett said 

The Queenstown Airport Corporation plan change request identifies significant forecast growth from 8,350 in 2008 to a projected 20,000 flights in 2037.   

“In simple terms QAC’s Plan Change 35 sought to grow the noise boundaries, manage and mitigate noise, and introduce night flights to midnight through a new night time noise boundary,” Mr Pannett said. 

“The plan change was publicly notified in January, attracting 92 original submissions, with the hearing held over nine working days during June and September,” Mr Pannett said. 

The plan change was also considered in conjunction with an application by QAC to change the Airport Aerodrome Designation, which received 80 submissions. 

The designation now follows a separate process from the plan change, although there is a ‘crossover’ of issues. With a designation application the applicant receives a recommendation, whereas any plan change recommendation must be adopted by the Council and then notified. 

“It is complex and has been a huge undertaking by the three appointed independent commissioners Bob Batty, Stephen Chiles and David Clarke, to whom the Council is very grateful, as we are to the submitters that have engaged in this process,” Mr Pannett said. 

The Council would now be asked to adopt the Commissioners recommendation in terms of the plan change. 

“The most significant part of the recommendation is that it does not accept QAC’s proposal to introduce 11 night time flights per week between the hours of 10pm and midnight. The Commissioners felt that there would be ‘adverse affects’ from night flights on the Wakatipu Basin,” Mr Pannett said. 

It did however recommend that the airnoise and outer control boundaries be extended, and ‘controlled’ under the amended designation. 

If the Council chose to adopt the recommendation the decision would be publicly notified and subject to appeal to the Environment Court.