The thought a four-hour golf experience would be ruined by one and a-half minutes of noise from a skydiving operation is ''a huge imbalance'', the Environment Court heard in Queenstown yesterday.
Counsel Russell Bartlett, of Auckland, made the comment in his opening statement on behalf of Skydive Queenstown Ltd, trading as NZONE Skydive Queenstown, which applied to operate a commercial parachute and associated transport operation at Remarkables Station, State Highway 6, Queenstown.
Mr Bartlett told Judge Jon Jackson, with commissioners Russell Howie and John Mills, skydiving was a major player in Queenstown tourism.
Its activities were safely separated in ''privileged'' airspace, away from the flight paths of planes flying in and out of Queenstown Airport. The Jacks Point golf course and soakage pond created a buffer from the skydiving airstrip.
Mr Bartlett said Skydive Queenstown was granted non-notified consent with conditions, with the written consent of affected parties, in 1997.
However, the 23-year-old company experienced rising demand from visitors, which prompted the application to increase the number of flights permitted from 35 per day to an average of 50 flights a day, with a caveat of no more than 75 flights on any given day.
Mr Bartlett told the court the ''state-of-the-art turboprops'' now flown by the company had
significantlyquieter engines.
Idling noise could be the difference between a complying and non-complying activity. Although parking the plane at 60 degrees to the airstrip made the difference in achieving the 55dbA standard, minimising idling time at the loading point was key, he said.
The seasonal variables the company operated under were outlined. December was the peak month of business, with 15 hours of sunlight available to skydive in. However, up to 30% of operating time per year was affected by the weather.
The hearing was adjourned by Judge Jackson for the panel and counsel to refamiliarise themselves with the operation, the site and the residential estate of Jacks Point, plus its proposed residential offshoot, Henley Downs.
Solicitor James Winchester, of Wellington, represented the Queenstown Lakes District Council, which earlier declined Skydive's request and decided the matter should be heard by independent commissioners.
Richard Brabant, of Auckland, represented the Jacks Point Residents Association and commercial interests which own land at Jacks Point - Arith Holdings, Coneburn Residential Holdings, Delta Investments Ltd, Fletcher Residential Ltd and Henley Downs Farm Holdings Ltd.
Representatives of Remarkables Park Ltd and the Lakeside Estates Homeowners' Association attended.
Former Queenstown Lakes mayor Clive Geddes, of Jacks Point, was listed as an interested party and attended the hearing yesterday. Former Queenstown Lakes District Council chief executive Duncan Field also attended.
The hearing resumes today and is scheduled to be held in the Queenstown District Court all week.
