Aerodrome expansion discussed
PUBLIC sessions about expansion at the Cromwell Aerodrome have provided more information to residents, but some still have concerns about growth there, Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan says.
Mr Cadogan and Central Otago District Council property infrastructure committee chairman Nigel McKinlay had oneonone sessions with about 20 Cromwell residents on Monday, providing information about the proposed expansion and listening to concerns, Mr Cadogan said.
He organised the sessions after Cromwell Community Board (CCB) member Robin Dicey last week launched a public campaign against a council decision to allow the construction of up to 28 new hangars at the aerodrome.
Mr Dicey said the council should have first consulted with the CCB and Cromwell residents, that the aerodrome was too close to Cromwell, and expansion at the aerodrome should not have been approved before a Cromwell Eye to the Future Masterplan was completed.
But Mr Cadogan said Mr Dicey was ‘‘scaremongering’’ and ‘‘putting unnecessary fears into people’’.
He said the aerodrome was on Crown land vested in council as an aerodrome reserve under the Reserves Act, which meant all aerodrome activity, including hangars and flights, could occur there as of right.
There was no intention to upgrade the aerodrome’s grass runway and allow mass expansion there, and the hangars would probably be for private use, Mr Cadogan said.
Mr Cadogan said the 20 residents who met him and Mr McKinlay in Cromwell were ‘‘grateful to have been heard’’ and ‘‘polite and professional’’ in their communication.
About a quarter of them supported the aerodrome expansion, and the rest had concerns.
However, Mr Cadogan said a positive thing that had come from publicity about the aerodrome was Cromwell residents had been reminded of its existence, and further consideration of its future use could now come.
Council chief executive Sanchia Jacobs said any new hangar leases issued would ‘‘include terms that will keep options open to the council in the future’’, such as provision for the cancellation of leases should the aerodrome reserve status of the land be changed or the land returned to the Crown.
A report about the hangar issue will also be prepared for the CCB.
In Saturday’s report about the aerodrome, Mr Cadogan said any application for a commercial use at the aerodrome would require a resource consent application, but he said yesterday the information he had been given and subsequently provided to the Otago Daily Times was incorrect, and clarified it was likely any commercial recreational activity involving aircraft would need consent, but applications would be assessed on a casebycase basis.