Council investigating activity after Takapuna chopper complaint laid
A taste for helicopters by Auckland’s rich and famous is under fresh scrutiny after a black chopper was spotted coming and going from one of Takapuna’s most expensive streets.
Auckland Council has confirmed it is looking into a complaint of helicopter activity at a $28.9 million home in O’Neills Ave. The home is owned by businessman Lichun Gao.
One of Gao’s relatives, who lives at the property, told the Weekend Herald he was not aware of any choppers coming or going but had seen one landing at a neighbouring property.
“We do not have any helicopters and we have not used any helicopters,” the family member said.
The complaint was made by a retired businessman who lives nearby and does not wanted to be named.
He believes the shiny black helicopter has come and gone from Gao’s property twice in the past month.
While he and his wife hadn’t seen the exact landing spot, they believe it was Gao’s property based on the angle and approach of the chopper and the fact there is a viewing platform on the edge of the property which they claim has previously been used as a landing pad.
They say there is no other place a chopper could land in the area.
The viewing platform is above a popular public coastal walkway between Takapuna and Milford.
In strong onshore winds, the retired businessman said a helicopter would have to use a backward flying manoeuvre over the walkway to land on the platform, which has large pohutukawa trees on either side.
If helicopters are coming in, I believe it could be a safety risk to people walking below. Takapuna resident
The 6533sq m property was built by Sky TV founder Craig Heatley.
“If helicopters are coming in, I believe it could be a safety risk to people walking below,” he said.
The chopper sightings come in the wake of legal action against plans by rich-lister Rod Duke to build a James Bond-style helipad at a new clifftop home he is building in New Zealand’s most expensive suburb of Herne Bay.
The Briscoe Group managing director gained resource consent for the helipad in the roof of a boatshed over a public beach, but a High Court judge has ruled the council needs to reconsider the consent.
Council team manager of compliance investigations Kerri Ferguson said a complaint was received on Wednesday about the alleged chopper sightings at Gao’s property.
“We will be investigating to determine what activity is taking place on the site with regard to the helicopter landings, and whether it breaches any AUP [Unitary Plan] rules,” she said.
Ferguson said the viewing platform was granted consent in 1992 and was included in the construction of the new dwelling. Based on an initial review of the property files, there was no consent for a helicopter landing pad.
Auckland Council planning chairman Chris Darby said helicopters had to abide by Civil Aviation rules and provisions in the council’s Unitary Plan.
A Civil Aviation Authority spokeswoman said helicopters could take off and land on private property without a consented helipad as long as they complied with rules covering the suitability of a place for landing and/or hovering.