Lakes Environmental says the costs of the resource consent applications by Queenstown Lakes District helicopter operators for landing sites will "vary considerably, depending on the work required on each consent".
The Queenstown Lakes District Council required all commercial helicopter operators to apply for resource consents about 18 months ago.
Since last February, five operators submitted 289 applications for individual landing sites and another three applications which bid for an estimated 200 additional sites.
Planning manager Brian Fitzpatrick said Lakes Environment had not requested that a separate deposit be paid for each application.
Resource consent fees were paid to Lakes Environmental.
"Where one operator has lodged multiple consents we are trying to process them together, as far as possible, so that they get the benefit of any efficiencies.
"The cost of some of the information that we have been required to obtain, such as advice from noise consultants, should be able to be spread across all of the applications," Mr Fitzpatrick said.
Some of the applications would be publicly notified and notification for others may be limited.
However, the majority were likely to be able to be processed on a non-notified basis.
"Decisions on some applications, where all of the information including affected-party approvals has been provided, have already been issued. A large number are on hold awaiting further information or affected-party approvals."
A total of eight Queenstown and Wanaka helicopter companies held concessions on public conservation land.
Those companies had about 40 landing sites on Wakatipu land administered by the Department of Conservation.
Doc community relations programme manager John Roberts said concession fees were charged at a per-person-landed rate, plus an annual administration fee.
The department had no control over operators flying above conservation land.
Wanaka landowner and developer Andre Prassinos said he wanted to see public disclosure of the scope and scale of the consent applications.
He said it was vital that the public had the opportunity to make submissions.
"The public will be denied the opportunity to comment on the large number of consents that will no doubt yield substantial cumulative effects, such as increased helicopter operations to areas rarely used or not used at all.
Introducing consents where concessions were previously the only permissive tool is likely to have significant cumulative effects."
Mr Prassinos said the sheer number and complexity of the applications would mean unintended effects "were a virtually certainty".
