New group calls for action on airport plan

THE Queenstown Lakes District Council is being called on to take a more active role in dealing with issues around the potential development of Wanaka Airport.

Michael Ross, the convener of a new organisation called the Wanaka Stakeholders Group spoke in the public forum at the council’s meeting in Queenstown yesterday.

The Queenstown Airport Corporation, [QAC] majorityowned by the council, is working on a masterplan that could lead to Wanaka Airport being used to cater for growth that cannot be handled at Queenstown Airport.

Mr Ross told the council the redirection of airport growth to Wanaka was a ‘‘sweeping and radical change’’ that would affect the whole community.

‘‘It is important to note that there has been no substantive community consultation by council on this major change of use of the Wanaka Airport.’’

Mr Ross said Wanaka’s infrastructure was already under ‘‘significant pressure’’.

‘‘Any proposal to have com mercial jet services arriving in Wanaka would certainly turbocharge the current challenges we face and would end up costing our ratepayers more.’’

The QAC’s master plan for Wanaka Airport is due to go out for public consultation in September next year.

Mr Ross believed waiting for the master plan ‘‘makes no sense’’.

‘‘Council needs to be working alongside its community to understand the district wide impact that these proposals might have.’’

He called on the council to conduct a survey to determine Upper Clutha residents’ level of support for the airport development, to be carried out before the airport master plan was completed.

‘‘Only council can assess whether we have the capacity to manage and accommodate the additional load on infrastructure, amenities, and our environment and what the costs to the ratepayers will be.’’

Mr Ross was thanked by Mayor Jim Boult, but there was no further comment at the meeting.