The Government has decided extending Queenstown Airport is an issue of "national significance".
Minister for the Environment, Dr Nick Smith yesterday directed an application to the Environment Protection Authority from the Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) to alter the airport to include 19.1ha owned by Remarkables Park Ltd would go directly to the Environment Court.
"Queenstown is a place of national significance and the airport is the gateway to an iconic region of New Zealand that is growing as a tourist destination," he said.
"That is why I have accepted that it is a nationally significant application ..."
Dr Smith said that with the Environment Court "already considering applications relating to rezoning and timing of flights allowed in and out of the airport, the most sensible way forward is for this application to be considered in the same forum".
Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) chief executive Steve Sanderson was pleased its expansion bid had been recognised as nationally significant and said the court would speed up the process of expanding the airport.
"The minister recognised the land the QAC hoped to acquire helped support the airport in its master planning ..."
Mr Sanderson said.
However Remarkables Park Ltd was an "unwilling seller" and director Alastair Porter said the airport already had ample land for expansion.
The 19.1ha of land in question, referred to as "lot 6", was located immediately south or parallel to the main runaway.
The strip of land ran from the apron down to the end of the runway.
The land was part of a straight land swap of 32ha between the airport and Remarkables Park Ltd in 1997.
However, commercial negotiations between the two parties had gone on for a year before the court directive yesterday.
"We're not keen to sell, because much of that land was originally bought off QAC so we could create a golf course on that side and we had the plans done, and so we're keen to do that development, particularly with the Frankton Golf Course going."
Mr Porter said it was not a case of another golf course versus the airport being able to expand, it was a case of another golf course for the resort and the community and the airport could expand to the north.
"The town can have a win-win - it can have both developments."
Mr Sanderson said discussions with Remarkables Park would continue.
A price for the land had not been determined yet.
"Once it goes through the Environment Court, then there is a process through the Public Works Act to acquire the land and the land valuation tribunal will assess the value of that land.
"That process protects both the airport and Remarkables Park, so it's a fair process."
Mr Sanderson said he anticipated the court hearing would be scheduled this year.
In a nutshell:
• In December, Queenstown Airport lodged documents with the Environmental Protection Authority seeking to expand the airport.
• It wants land owned by Remarkables Park Ltd for development including cargo loading, refuelling and maintenance.
• On February 2, the EPA recommended to Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith that he direct the matter to a board of inquiry.
• Remarkables Park Ltd, which had earmarked the land for a golf course, is an "unwilling seller".
• Yesterday, Dr Smith decided the application was of "national significance" and would go to the Environment Court.
