An extraordinary meeting has been scheduled for next Tuesday so the Queenstown Lakes District Council can decide whether to adopt a district plan change and new land-use designations for Wanaka Airport.
The changes do not provide for a 2200m runway, as the Wanaka Chamber of Commerce had hoped, but allow for an extension up to 1750m, as sought by the Wanaka Airport management committee.
Air New Zealand had asked for the runway to remain at 1200m.
The Wanaka Airport management committee has suggested five changes to recommendations, made by independent commissioners Stephen Chiles and Bob Batty, of Christchurch, which relate to noise control and "terrain shield" restrictions and are outlined in a report of July 25 to the council by QLDC senior policy analyst Ralph Henderson.
(A "terrain shield" is a surveyed and mapped area of land and air space showing where developments could occur on neighbouring land without affecting airport operations.)Committee chairman Leigh Overton said when contacted by the Otago Daily Times on Friday he knew councillors wanted to ask questions about the plan change and designations.
"We've got most of what we've requested but that's as far as I can go at this stage," he said.
The commissioners considered 18 public submissions at a three-day hearing in June.
The airport committee was concerned about the effects of airport activities on surrounding land uses and the potential for reverse sensitivity claims, particularly arising from aircraft noise.
It wants to provide for future airport growth in domestic operations, based on projected long-term increases in aircraft movements and passenger numbers, as outlined in a 2008 master plan.
The Wanaka Chamber of Commerce called for a much-longer runway so the airport could become an international airport, accept night flights from Australia and be an alternative airport to Queenstown should planes need to be diverted.
The commissioners said they were unconvinced that many night flights would occur.
They noted Cr Overton's evidence that development would focus on domestic aircraft movements.
No evidence of night flight demand was presented by the council or the only airline to make a submission, Air New Zealand, they said.
