Queenstown helicopter operators have flooded Lakes Environmental with 500 resource consent applications for landing sites that some of the operators have been using for 20 years.
Lakes Environmental, a Queenstown Lakes District Council-controlled organisation, has begun assessing almost 300 individual applications for landing sites and three applications for an estimated further 200 sites.
Operators began submitting applications in bulk in February, spurred by the council's decision 18 months ago that operators on Doc estate, pastoral lease and privately owned land would have to apply for consents.
Heliworks Queenstown Helicopters Ltd alone lodged 149 resource consents last week.
It applied for consent to land at Coronet Peak, the Remarkables, Queenstown Hill, Skyline Gondola, Deer Park Heights, Motatapu Station homestead, Peregrine Winery and Treble Cone car park among other locations.
Lakes Environmental planning manager Brian Fitzpatrick said commercial activities were addressed by the council about three years ago and helicopters were the last group to be dealt with.
The amount of preparatory work required for each application, some involving consultants, and the huge number of applications were reasons for the delay, he said.
"We've thoroughly questioned why these applications have to be made but our legal advice is that council requires that the applications have to be made."
QLDC chief executive Duncan Field said applications ranged from "very minor to substantial" and each would have to be assessed against plan requirements to decide if they needed to be publicly notified.
"Some will and others may not. There will also be cumulative effects to consider, which means that individually an application may not need to be notified but in context it will be."
Mr Fitzpatrick said the applications were for existing landing sites only. Most were in remote locations and a lot were on Department of Conservation (Doc) estate.
"Areas in close proximity to residential areas are likely to be notified. Some have been notified already, such as Arthurs Point and O'Connells at Coronet Peak."
Mr Field said helicopters used for normal farming operations or for private flying did not require consent.
However, where flights were commercial, the plan had always required the operator to obtain consent.
"For a long time there was a misunderstanding where it was thought that Doc consent was enough. Legal advice was it was not enough and a consent was also required."
Council would be the compliance agency and respond to complaints. Mr Field said the authority had a range of remedies, from abatement notices to prosecution under the Resource Management Act.
Mr Fitzpatrick said Lakes Environmental would probably add a condition that pilot log information could be accessed on request.
Doc would monitor landings on its estate and private landowners had a financial interest in monitoring landings on their property.
Helicopter operators could only land regularly on land with owner permission and it was up to the owner to set the charge for landings.
Heliworks said it was forced to stump up $35,000 for its application process.
Managing director Dave Kershaw said the council asked all operators to apply for concessions in the plan even though some had been operating those sites for 20 years.
"Council decided 18 months ago that operators on Doc estate, pastoral lease and private owned land have to apply, hence the consents we've put in.
"We don't mind complying with safety regulations but this doesn't make anything safer and it's another bit of legislation we have to answer to."
