Farmer sells farm for Tarras Airport

A Tarras farmer who plans to die on his 40-hectare block has sold his land to Christchurch Airport.

Phillip Parcell was born and raised on the Tarras property that sits at the centre of land that was bought for a proposed international airport in 2020.

At the time, Parcell – who is now in his 70s – said the development plans were very unsettling.

‘‘I don’t want to leave [my land]. The move would be a real wrench. I would prefer to drop dead here,’’ he said.

Christchurch Airport chief strategy and stakeholder officer Michael Singleton said the company respected Parcell’s decision not to sell in 2020 but let him know the door was open for further discussions.

‘‘Philip is a well-respected local who’s had a close connection to the district over most of his life,’’ Singleton said.

‘‘I’ve caught up with him a number of times over the past two to three years to discuss the airport project. His company’s always enjoyable and his insight’s always invaluable.’’

The terms of the deal were confidential but Parcell would be able to continue to occupy the land.

No final decision had been made on the project proceeding but even if it did proceed, it would be some years before construction began, Singleton said.

Few details of the airport proposal have been revealed since the controversial project was announced.

However, Singleton has indicated more information about where exactly it wanted the runway to go would be made public in the coming weeks.

Christchurch Airport argues a new regional airport in the area would resolve the constraints around aviation capacity in the Central Otago region, and at nearby Queenstown Airport.

Critics of the plan have included community groups in Central Otago and a group of academics who say the plans are at odds with the climate emergency declared by Christchurch Airport’s owners, Christchurch City Council and the Crown.

Queenstown Airport chief executive Glen Sowry said an airport in Tarras would be reliant on mass inbound tourism to be viable, and he did not believe that was what locals wanted.