The Queenstown Lakes District Council had been "hoodwinked" and the deal the Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) had done with Auckland International Airport Ltd (AIAL) was "cute", Queenstown businessman John Martin said yesterday.
Mr Martin, the spokesman for the newly formed Queenstown Community Strategic Assets Group, told the Otago Daily Times QAC was effectively "giving away the crown jewels and the family silver in this matter".
"If I woke up one morning and found someone had sold 25% of my company ... any businessperson would be in a rage. It's not accepted business practice.
"It's a shocking state of affairs and it's going to polarise the council and the community."
Mr Martin said the airport had been community-owned for 75 years and many people had poured "blood, sweat and tears" into it and had never seen a need for "outside influences or outside money".
"It's wrong for the council to feel that they could [let it happen] without a public debate, and it's very wrong for the directors."
The long-term local, who has had business interests in the resort since the 1970s, said the community was being "hijacked" by AIAL and it was not for the community's benefit.
Mr Martin agreed with former mayor Warren Cooper and said there was "no question" the QAC board should resign.
The Queenstown Strategic Assets Group was assessing its legal position and would be "notifying" the council, QAC and AIAL "in due course", Mr Martin said.
Mayor Clive Geddes had no comment to make last night.
WHO ARE THEY?
- The Queenstown Community Strategic Assets Group.
Warren Cooper: Two stints as mayor of Queenstown (1968-75 and 1995-2001); National Party MP 1975-96 and former cabinet minister.
John Darby: Property developer, including Jacks Point, Clearwater, Millbrook and Denaru (Fiji) resorts; Blanket Bay Lodge; golf course designer; landscape architect; investor and consultant.
John Davies: Former mayor of Queenstown (1983-89) and former Queenstown Airport chairman; a regional tourism (NZSki Ltd chairman) and transport industry leader.
Philip Dunstan: Businessman, former civil defence controller and principal rural fire officer; former owner of Lakes Contract Services; stood unsuccessfully for mayoralty in 2007.
John Martin: Property developer behind, among others, the Steamer Wharf complex, the Eureka building in the Queenstown Mall and the complex atop the Man St car park.
Ken Matthews: Former managing director and now chairman of Skyline Enterprises.
Richard Mehrtens: Managing director of Globaleagle Ltd, a private investment and advisory firm. Director of Black on White Ltd, Snowvision Ltd.
Alistair Porter: Co-managing director of Remarkables Park Ltd, Shotover Park Ltd; chairman of Queenstown Chamber of Commerce.
Graham Smolenski: Property developer and investor; founder and former chief executive of Millbrook Resort; developer of the Nugget Point Hotel; former vice-chairman (13 years) of the Queenstown Airport Corporation. Director NZSki Ltd.
Barry Thomas: Former chairman (33 years) of Skyline Enterprises; heavily involved in property, casino industry.
