Aero club alleges airport inconsistent

Revell Buckham.
Revell Buckham.
Wakatipu Aero Club has accused the Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) of inconsistency in its argument for moving the club off its present site.

In the latest round in its fight for survival, the club sent its lawyer and a senior Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) adviser to plead its case at the public forum of yesterday's Queenstown District Council monthly meeting.

It is the second time in a month the club has done so.

Club lawyer Revell Buckham and CAA aviation safety adviser Carlton Campbell tabled a letter to councillors from president Adrian Snow, which said the airport had ''tendered a sequence of explanations, each subsequent explanation appearing when each previous explanation is discredited''.

Mr Buckham said the airport was now saying the club had to move because it did not fit its ''mix'', rather than because its lease had expired.

The club was told a month ago its lease would not be renewed when it expires in June because the airport needed the Lucas Pl site for expansion.

It has labelled a suggestion by QAC chief executive Scott Paterson that the club split into two divisions - leaving air transport at Queenstown and shifting its flight training school to Wanaka - as financially unviable.

Mr Snow said the club had received a letter from a council legal services provider intended to ''dissuade the aero club with continuing to approach QLDC in its request to have its community value and contribution recognised''.

But as the airport's majority shareholder, the council had a statutory responsibility to consider the club's value to the community and the authority to communicate that to the QAC board.

''What we're asking for is that you use your influence and authority and allow the aero club to continue where it is,'' Mr Snow said.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden said the club needed to keep talking to the airport, as the council had received ''very clear advice that we shouldn't get involved''.

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