The Environment Court has reserved its decision until May on a hearing considering noise from Queenstown Airport and surrounding future developments.
In their final submissions Remarkables Park and Shotover Park Ltd, Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC), the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and Air New Zealand all said an agreement had been reached over changes to plan change 35.
Judge Jane Borthwick and commissioners David Bunting and Ross Dunlop reserved their decision on Tuesday on whether QAC would be allowed to expand its noise boundaries according to 2037 projections.
The decision will be made public after a hearing finishing on May 11, which will decide whether a 20ha land swap between the airport and Remarkables Park can go ahead.
In QLDC's submission, counsel Tony Ray said the council had supported QAC's position "in the most part" and the differences between the two parties had been resolved "by and large".
The original concern over who was responsible for paying a 25% contribution to sound insulation once the airport had funded 75% of the costs within a 60 and 65 decibel (dBa) area had been resolved.
The council's submission said it understood a residents' group intended to lodge a submission to the annual plan hearing seeking funds to meet the 25% shortfall.
QAC counsel Amanda Dewar said the original plan change, which had been subject to a private hearing, had "not been well drafted", and the changes reflected the advice given last week by "expert" witnesses.
QAC's submission said, according to 2037 airport growth projections, a new set of noise boundaries would be required and it proposed the updated noise boundaries be incorporated into the district plan.
"In terms of mitigations, QAC has acknowledged from the outset that [plan change 35] involves an expansion of the existing noise boundaries."
"Consequently, an additional number of properties will, over time, be exposed to greater levels of aircraft noise."
The submission included a notice of requirement outlining "monitoring obligations" relating to the management and mitigation of noise.
The notice of requirement outlined QAC's obligation to provide the insulation and ventilation once noise levels reached 65dBa at an individual property and also said the airport would contribute 75% of the cost if noise levels reached 60dBa.
John Young, representing Remarkables Park Ltd, sought relief on the proposed controls within the 55dBA and 58dBA boundary.
"The originating submission lodged by SPL and RPL did not seek additional controls based on the 55dBA boundary," he said.
Air New Zealand lawyer James Gardner-Hopkins said insulation would be required in houses within the 58dBA to 65dBA boundary.
"People still do get annoyed between the outer control boundary and the 55dBA contour boundary."
