Appeal over land dismissed

THE High Court has dismissed an appeal by Remarkables Park Ltd (RPL) over 16ha of its land wanted by Queenstown Airport, but the battle may yet go back to the Environment Court.

The airport has sought the land for expansion of its facilities for about 10 years. After the Environment Court found in favour of the airport last year, RPL appealed to the High Court.

Just over a week before the December hearing, RPL applied for an adjournment and sought leave to offer further evidence.

Both applications related to the release of the airport’s master plan in late August. Justice Gerald Nation declined to adjourn the hearing and ultimately declined to allow the master plan to be admitted as evidence, saying it was longterm planning as was required under the RMA.

He found RPL failed to establish any of the 13 questions of law it had appealed on or that the QAC was entitled to costs. If costs could not be resolved by agreement, QAC was to file a memorandum by March 30, his finding said.

RPL director Alastair Porter could not be reached for comment yesterday. Airport chief executive Colin Keel said the corporation was ‘‘very pleased’’ with the decision.