Evidence from several parties will go in front of Judge Jane Borthwick, of Christchurch, this week in Queenstown for plan change 35 (PC35) regarding existing air noise boundaries at the Queenstown airport.
Major players include the Queenstown Lakes District Council, the Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC), Air New Zealand, Remarkables Park Ltd, Shotover Park Ltd, the Ministry of Education, and the smaller appellant Wakatipu Residents Against Airport Noise Incorporated.
On behalf of Remarkables Park, Shotover Park and the Ministry of Education, lawyer John Young in his opening submission yesterday said they had reached an "agreement in principle" with QAC regarding some noise boundaries, as well as insulation for residential, community and accommodation activities.
Mr Young stated that issues raised by Air NZ were likely to be resolved within the two-day adjournment granted yesterday by Judge Borthwick.
The hearing proposes to amend the existing air noise boundaries and associateddistrict plan provisions to allow for projected airport growth through to 2037 - a forecasted 2 million airline movements per year.
Mr Young had also been in talks regarding a school site within the Remarkables Park zone on behalf of the Ministry of Education.
The ministry last year said it was interested in developinga new educational site in the new zone.
Lawyer Amanda Dewar submitted on behalf of QAC and said it had already reached "some"compromise with Queenstown Gateway Ltd or "Hendo's Hole", Remarkables Park and Shotover Park to principles relating to PC35.
Ms Dewar said the outer control boundary of the noise limits would extend over "a big curve" of Plan Change 19 land, affecting Frankton Flats Zone, and this would ideally need to be resolved first.
QAC chief executive Steve Sanderson said yesterday they had reached an agreement in principle with three of the appellants to Plan Change 35 and the Notice of Requirement to alter the airport's designation after "much discussion".
He said agreements, being finalised with those parties involved in the appeals, would go back to the Environment Court for approval tomorrow.
Judge Borthwick said she and commissioners David Bunting, of Wellington, and Ross Dunlop, of Auckland, did not intend to release a decision on PC35 until resolution had been reached on another plan change, PC19, which involves the neighbouring Frankton Flats.
On behalf of Air NZ, lawyer James Gardner-Hopkins said the airline supported the position reached by QAC and Remarkables Park which "resolves the noise contour issues".
He said Air NZ had sought further changes with Remarkables Park relating to the status of residential and community activities in one of the activity areas within the outer control boundary, and these were still subject to discussion.
The airline was continuing discussions with the Ministry of Education regarding controls on any school that may be located within the outer control boundary on the park zone.
They also reached an agreement with Queenstown Gateway which would limit the number of activities sensitive to aircraft noise within the Frankton Flats area.
Air NZ accepted limited provision for medical offices and visitor accommodation, but it preferred child-care facilities to be located outside their outer control boundary.
