Queenstown Airport's latest plan of action appears to be "spin designed to deflect rather than reflect'' community concerns, according to at least one campaigner.
The Queenstown Airport Corporation's (QAC) draft statement of intent 2020-22 to its major shareholder, the Queenstown Lakes District Council, was published this week.
It has been eagerly awaited by the community following public outcry over plans to double Queenstown aerodrome's capacity by 2045 by extending its noise boundaries.
Residents objected en masse because of concerns over noise and the impact of unprecedented growth in tourism on the resort and its creaking infrastructure.
About 94% of the responses to public consultation opposed the plans.
The airport company shelved the plans, and is looking first at the potential expansion of Wanaka Airport for a dual-airport model.
And its statement of intent confirms that position.
"We will need to manage growth to ensure compliance with our noise boundaries, which we expect to reach within the next three years,'' it reads.
"We have increased the frequency of our noise monitoring programme and are working closely with our airline customers to manage the rate of growth via flight schedules and route planning.
"Over time, capacity will be constrained at Queenstown Airport if the noise boundaries are not expanded, with the expected effects being more limited flight choices and other changes in commercial behaviour.''
The Kelvin Peninsula Community Association and Frankton Community Association presented a 1500-signature petition to the Queenstown Airport Corporation in August.
Kelvin association committee members and former Queenstown Lakes councillor Cath Gilmour also called for community input into the statement of intent.
Ms Gilmour said: "The draft [statement of intent] very much points to a temporary hiatus, committing QAC to working within existing noise boundaries only until 2022.
"And by June of that year, they want consents in place for the future development plans of both airports - making no commitment to including Queenstown community in this planning.
"It looks like spin designed to deflect rather than reflect the 94% community opposition to air noise boundary expansion.''
Ms Gilmour said this was "hardly surprising'' given the "lack of strong direction'' on the issue from council chief executive Mike Theelen in a February letter to the airport company.
The draft statement of intent mentioned "sustainability, working closely with the community, Invercargill and Dunedin airports and the need to retain social licence - but gives no commitment to doing so or signal as to how they might'', she said.
The council owns 75.01% of the shares in the airport company. The rest is owned by Auckland Airport.
The draft statement of intent will be heard by councillors at Thursday's full council meeting.
