Queenstown Airport.
Some of the expected heat has come out of an
Environmental Court hearing concerning noise and surrounding
developments at Queenstown airport, as several parties have
reached a compromise.
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.
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