Representatives from Extinction Rebellion, the Wānaka Airport Users Group, FlightPath 2050 and the Wānaka Stakeholders Group were given three minutes each to draw the councillors’ attention to their concerns about airport development, airport master plans, aviation’s role in climate change and community involvement in airport planning.
Three airports were mentioned during the presentations: the existing Queenstown and Wānaka Airports and the proposed Central Otago Airport at Tarras.
Extinction Rebellion activists also presented their views on the proposed Tarras Airport to the Christchurch City Council last week.
The Christchurch submission resulted in a 7-6 vote in favour of councillors formally expressing concern about Christchurch International Airport Ltd’s plans for a second international airport.
But in Wānaka, airport issues were not on the agenda.
The presenters were acknowledged and thanked but the councillors did not ask questions and no-one put forward any motions for the council to decide.
John Hilhorst, of Queenstown organisation FlightPlan 2050, and Pierre Marasti, of Extinction Rebellion, continued a programme of persuasion begun in April about climate change issues and whether Queenstown Airport development was going down the right path.
Mr Hilhorst, who supports "relocating" Queenstown Airport to Tarras as the best climate change strategy, intends presenting a third report to the council in July.
Mr Marasti expanded on extreme weather events, aviation’s contribution to climate change and the world reaching the limits of adaption.
Representatives from the Wānaka Airport Users Group and the Wānaka Stakeholders Group seemed to be offering olive branches to the council, after a period of discontent about public consultation over Wānaka airport operations.
Wānaka Airport Users Group chairman Don Grant presented the results of a recent survey of airport users, revealing they are generating $69.6 million for the local economy (as previously reported in the Wānaka Sun on May 12).
The survey results were "staggering and impressive for a small community", Mr Grant said.
He said the issue of whether the council had served the airport did not need to be gone over again.
The users were looking forward and wanting to work with the council on future master plans.
Stakeholders group deputy chairman Mark Sinclair said the group was pleased the council had now appointed an independent chairperson to lead a new airport liaison committee, would watch developments "very closely" and wanted to work with the council on master planning.
