If two documents central to the strategic alliance between Queenstown and Auckland airports were released, the public would be able to see "exactly some of the concerns" Air New Zealand held, the airline's deputy chief executive, Norm Thompson, said yesterday.
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times, Mr Thompson said the airline encouraged a move made by the Queenstown Lakes District Council yesterday to approach Auckland International Airport Ltd and Queenstown Airport Corporation, seeking the release of the Subscription Agreement and the Strategic Alliance Agreement, both of which have been sealed by the High Court.
"Provided the parties agree to the application, that's great.
"If that ... gets through, we think it's a very good thing."
Auckland International Airport Ltd senior communications manager Richard Llewellyn said "if and when" the airport received a request from the council it would be "happy to have that discussion with them".
At yesterday's meeting, council corporate and regulatory services general manager Roger Taylor read a letter received yesterday morning from solicitors Anderson Lloyd, acting on behalf of the Queenstown Community Strategic Asset Group.
Two solicitors from the firm attended the meeting, prompting a warning from Mr Taylor councillors should not "stray into the issue of litigation" during their deliberations.
The letter sought confirmation disclosure of the "critical transaction documents" for the consultation process and said "without full understanding of all the issues raised in these documents it is hard to see how members of the public ... can be meaningfully consulted".
While "in certain quarters in Queenstown" it was suggested the group was reluctant to have the information made public, "our client believes that these documents should be made public and that this is essential to the democratic decision-making process occurring".
"We have various other concerns with the contents of the report [tabled to the councillors yesterday] and will be coming back to you in the near future," the letter said.
During the meeting, Mr Taylor said if Air New Zealand and the strategic asset group were to withdraw the High Court proceedings, the order of the court would be "null and void" and the documents would become available.
However, Mr Thompson told the ODT the airline had "no plans to be pulling out of anything at the moment".
"We wouldn't be going down this track if we didn't believe it was the right thing to do."
At the meeting, Mr Taylor fielded questions from councillors over the proposed public consultation regarding the strategic alliance, which would occur once the council received a report from Pricewaterhouse-Coopers.
Mr Taylor said three of the company's staff had been given access to all documents - including those which had been sealed - and would be "assimilating the information" and providing analysis for the community.
However, the report would not be finished until the end of January at the earliest.
The council also agreed yesterday to the first stage of the public consultation process, with Mr Taylor clarifying the council's legal obligations under the Local Government Act.
The council was not able to go "straight to making a decision" about the proposed second tranche share sale, which could see Auckland airport increase its interest to between 30% and 35%, he said.
