The Queenstown Lakes District Council is consulting on a draft Glenorchy Airstrip Reserve Management Plan 2025 which outlines how the council will manage the airstrip on behalf of users and the Glenorchy community.
The council’s principal parks planner Jeannie Galavazi urged anyone with an interest in local aviation, airstrip users and the wider community, especially those based in the Glenorchy area, to read the plan and share their views in a submission.
‘‘The existing plan was adopted in 2016. Since this time, QLDC has worked alongside the community and local operators to implement new management processes and make improvements at the airstrip,’’ she said in a statement.
‘‘We now need a more future focused plan that is aligned with the Resource Management Act noise contour that became operative in 2021 and the community’s long-term needs,’’ Mrs Galavazi said.
The draft plan has been guided by initial feedback from the Glenorchy community and stakeholders, including commercial operators and others in the aviation industry.
The airstrip was established in 1953 to service the Glenorchy area.
Significant community consultation on the use of the airstrip has occurred since the land was vested in the district council.
Commercial use is controlled through leases and licences.
There is only one commercial lease in place at the reserve, held by Action Helicopters for two helipads and associated storage containers.
Action Helicopters is the only operator that uses the airstrip and the Glenorchy township as a permanent base, and it accounts for approximately 67% of the total annual aircraft movements.
A commercial skydiving operator was previously based at the airstrip but has since relocated and now only does the occasional training flight.
Commercial skydiving is not supported by the majority of the Glenorchy community. Noise generated from skydiving was particularly annoying as planes fly right over the township and out to Blanket Bay, the draft plan says.
The maximum limit set for aircraft movements is 5400 movements or 2200 flights.
In 2024 there were 2662 movements (1331 flights) with commercial operators, including itinerant operators, accounting for about 95% of the total flights.
Funding and user charges, carbon and noise emissions and governance are among the policies included in the draft.
Submissions on the draft plan close on August 8, with hearings set for later in the month.
