If Covid-19 has not already killed off any Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) expansion plans in the near future, then the new SOI certainly appears to do so.
While the council agreed to the SOI proposed by the QAC, its agreement is subject the QAC board adding a paragraph to say it will not undertake "any spending on capital projects" identified in the SOI until a new SOI has been agreed by council which takes into account the impacts of Covid-19 and the QAC’s revised business strategy.
The QAC has until October to provide the council with its new SOI.
The amendment arose after Cr Nikki Gladding raised concerns about the financial state of the airport company which she said had $70million of debt but no commercial air traffic because of the lockdown.
Cr Quentin Smith said it was clear under the SOI noise boundaries around Queenstown Airport could not be expanded in year one or two "and possibly never", depending on reports being done for the council.
Also, commercial flights back into Wanaka Airport could not occur under the scope of the SOI, "once again possibly never ... ," he said.
"This is the first time any of the SOIs to my knowledge have included the provisions that any future expansion of airports is fully subject to consulted master planning processes that require the endorsement of council.
"This is a substantial increase in protection for our community that are concerned about undue expansion."
At one point during the meeting, Cr Niamh Shaw held up one of her children’s drawings to make the point the SOI being considered by the council was open to many interpretations.
Acting QAC chairwoman Adrienne Young-Cooper released a statement afterwards saying the [October] SOI would include "a revised business strategy and address the impacts of Covid-19 on financial performance, key initiatives and the long-term planning for both airports".
