Four weeks of hearings

Four weeks of Environment Court hearings are coming up in Queenstown early next year, all dedicated to inter-related Queenstown matters and dealing with airport noise.

A notice of hearing from the Environment Court shows from January 23 to February 3, Queenstown Airport's proposed Plan Change 35 will be put under the microscope.

It proposes to amend the existing air noise boundaries and associated district plan provisions to allow for projected airport growth through to 2037.

The private plan change was adopted "in part" by the council but then appealed by Air New Zealand, Remarkables Park, Shotover Park and Wakatipu Residents Against Air Noise Inc.

Nine interested parties are listed alongside the appeals, including the Minister of Education, Queenstown Gateway, Queenstown Central and G W Trusts.

On February 20 or February 27 the Environment Court will hear an appeal against the council's decision on designations for roads near Glenda Dr, Frankton Flats, which was appealed by Shotover Park Ltd.

The final hearing, from February 20 to March 2, will deal with Plan Change 19 - Frankton Flats Zones (B) and Air Noise Boundaries. It seeks to provide for the comprehensive rezoning of the Frankton Flats area to allow educational, residential, visitor accommodation, commercial, industrial, business and recreational activities.

Commissioners had recommended the council accept the plan change in part, subject to modifications, but it was subsequently appealed by Air New Zealand, FM Custodians, Foodstuffs (South Island), Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust, Manapouri Beech Investments, Queenstown Airport Corporation, Queenstown Central, Shotover Park and Remarkables Park.

The Aerodrome Designation (Designation 2), proposed by Queenstown Airport, was included with the Plan Change 19 hearing because some of the proposed airport noise contours crossed PC 19 land.