A jet every 10 mins needed — report

A PASSENGER jet landing and taking off every 10 minutes.

That is a conclusion in a report into the underlying finances of the proposed expansion of Wanaka Airport and an investment of $400 million.

That is the flight frequency needed if the industry standard investment return is to be realised.

Wanaka Stakeholders Group commissioned Richard Somerville, of Wanaka, a chartered accountant with a 25year career in investment banking specialising in mergers and acquisitions, to conduct the ‘‘independent’’ assessment.

Working with publicly available data from five other airports in New Zealand and Australia, Mr Somerville concluded Wanaka Airport would require a flow of 3.14 million passenger movements each year, which would equate to about 26,200 landings and takeoffs per year.

Wanaka Stakeholders Group deputy chairman Mark Sinclair said the group commissioned the report because there had been ‘‘a lot of talk about the need to develop the airport in Wanaka but the Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Queenstown Airport Corporation have only shared a few numbers and one of those was $400 million to extend the runway and build the infrastructure required.

‘‘On the other hand we have had various people from the QAC and the Mayor Jim Boult saying there would initially be only five return services a day in and out of Wanaka, and those two numbers don’t stack up.

‘‘So, we decided to get someone who understood airports and financing to analyse how many flights would be required to cover the investment,’’ Mr Sinclair said.

Mr Somerville admitted his analysis was ‘‘simplistic’’ but his work had been peerreviewed, and his analysis and fundamental approach was ‘‘found to be solid’’.

Mr Sinclair said their next move would be to ask the council and QAC to provide much more detail about what they were planning and for the Wanaka community to be involved in the discussions.

Wanaka Stakeholders Group chairman Michael Ross said their group now represented nearly 3000 members and they would be asking the council and QAC ‘‘plenty of questions’’ in the coming days on behalf of its members and the community.

The council did not respond to a request for a comment on the report last night.

THE search for consultants to carry out social and economic assessments on the effects of expanding Queenstown and Wanaka Airports has begun, according to Queenstown Lakes District Council chief executive Mike Theelen.

In a statement yesterday, Mr Theelen said a ‘‘request for proposals’’ (RFP) had been published on the Government electronic tender service system.

Mr Theelen said as the majority stakeholder in the Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC), the council was keen to ensure its strategic direction to the QAC board was well informed.

The council wants consultants to recommend approaches for the assessments ‘‘of a number of possible futures for the airport’’.

‘‘These include growth in Wanaka Airport and/or Queenstown Airport, constraining growth at both or either location, and increased collaboration with other regional airports,’’ Mr Theelen said.

The Queenstownbased Flightpath 2050 group has called for an investigation into shifting Queenstown Airport — ruled out of the assessments by Mayor Jim Boult — and the Wanaka Stakeholders Group wanted to have input into the terms of reference for the assessments.

Mr Theelen said there would be ‘‘some who will now scrutinise the RFP to find fault or predetermination’’.

‘‘The RFP was deliberately neutral and simple in its approach to enable the experts to shape the right proposal.

‘‘Frankly, the voice we now want to hear is from independent professionals in this space as to how best we should approach this work.’’

Mr Theelen said the council was aware of the ‘‘economic value propositions’’ of airport development and also of the ‘‘growing effect of airport traffic on social licence, particularly through recent heightened debate based on incomplete and inaccurate information’’.

The council was aware of the ‘‘many different perspectives’’ on possible development, which was why it wanted to ensure that any community engagement was ‘‘wellinformed, balanced, and captured a wide range of community views and opinions’’.

The assessments are to be ready for the council’s March 2020 meeting, when it again considers the statement of intent that sets the QAC’s direction.