At yesterday's full council meeting in Queenstown, councillors voted unanimously to accept a slightly amended recommendation, based on a planning and development report on Wanaka Airport prepared by aviation consultant Astral Ltd.
It means the council has agreed, in principle and subject to more work, to further investigate recommendations about future governance models for the airport, which include either selling it to the Queenstown Airport Corporation, or forming a new council-controlled company.
Mayor Vanessa van Uden told councillors she was largely comfortable with the contents of the report.
However, she took issue with one comment regarding a request she made.
The report said there had been ongoing conversations between Ms van Uden and the airport corporation, which manages the council-owned airport, "specifically requesting that an option be presented of what might be able to be delivered for a reduced management fee''.
"This directive appears to be at odds with the increasing management workload,'' the report said.
Ms van Uden told councillors it "would have been useful'' if the report writer had spoken to her first.
Governance had been "adequate'' to date, but the council acknowledged Wanaka Airport had reached a point where questions needed to be asked.
"Is what we're doing now the best way to do it going forward to deliver the maximum benefit to our communities?
"We have people who do finance and accounting at council. Is that something we could absorb?
"We have lease arrangements ... Is that something we should look at?
"It [the comment in the report] wasn't talking about the management of the airport, or the strategic planning.''
Cr Lyal Cocks said the airport had done well under the existing management, but it was the "right time'' to look at future governance options.
Mr Theelan said it was important for the council to understand nothing was being ruled out.
"This is a starting point. That's all it is."
