The Queenstown Lakes District Council’s corporate services manager says it is unrealistic for the community to make informed comments regarding running an airport, due to the "inordinate complexities" involved.
There has long been tension between Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) and the community over a perceived lack of community engagement or consultation as it pertained to the airport’s strategic direction.
There have also been questions over why the airport board appeared to be in the pilot’s seat, not the council, as representatives for the majority shareholder.
Speaking to councillors during yesterday’s full meeting in Queenstown about the council’s statement of expectations (SOE) for the airport board, which would guide its statement of intent, corporate services manager Meaghan Miller said the issue of governance and whether it would be more appropriate for the council to lead public consultation on the airport’s master plan was traversed closely last year.
"Long story short, QAC outlined, very clearly, their responsibilities under the multitudes of Acts they need to adhere to, the consultation they would need to undertake, which goes above and beyond community consultation ... and clearly outlined to the council a year ago why they needed to lead that consultation."
However, Ms Miller said through the SOE, the council had outlined its expectation to provide feedback on the master plan, endorsement of the master plan and a summary of all community feedback.
Deputy mayor Quentin Smith, of Wānaka, said the issue had become "a battleground" over the past few years.
"I don’t think this is the battleground to die on today.
"I think we are in a place where this new council is getting their head around this issue ... for the first time and we’re doing that in a productive way.
"I don’t think we’ve completely resolved the issues around how council steer our CCTO [council-controlled trading organisation], but this is a step on that journey, and I’m happy to support it."
First-term councillor Lisa Guy offered her assurance to the community every topic relating to the airport was being taken seriously.
"I don’t want our community to feel that we’re not taking this seriously and that we’re not really holding each other to account."
However, Cr Niki Gladding, who voted against approving the SOE, said her interpretation of the airport’s strategic plan was a goal to "grow to meet demand".
"That’s, to me, for us to set, and then how the airport goes about that is the board’s job.
"There’s a big discussion there to have about do we want to grow to meet demand.
"To me, it’s a huge elephant in the room because we haven’t had that discussion with our community and at some point, very soon, we need to."
