The airport continues to investigate ways to develop the region’s airport capacity, but it has done little to sway Tarras locals who oppose the project’s No 1 preference.
In February 2024, the brakes were pulled on controversial plans to build an airport on 750ha in the small Central Otago town.
The board of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd, which has a 75% stake in Christchurch International Airport, had decided to slow down further work on the Tarras plan.
Although the airport had been silent since the decision was made to slow down the project, it hired resource planning consultant Mitchell Daysh to conduct a report assessing alternative sites in Central Otago.
The assessment was commissioned in 2023 and made public this year.
It explored 11 possible locations in the region to determine which would be the most suitable for an airport: Cromwell, Tarras, Wanaka, Hawea, Queenstown, Kingston, Five Rivers, Alexandra, Lauder, Ranfurly and Ettrick.
The key factors used to assess the locations include noise pollution, transportation, power supply, landscape, water supply, planning and the ability aircraft have to operate in the area.
Wanaka Airport failed due to its runway length and noise restrictions being unsuitable.
The report concluded Tarras would be the ideal location as it had the least constraints on development. Hawea and Cromwell were the only other potential options.
The airport had faced significant resistance from locals including the community group Sustainable Tarras, which was initially founded to oppose the airport.
Chairwoman Suze Keith felt the assessment was simply a way for the airport to further justify choosing Tarras as a location.
"It’s almost like they were doing a post-decision validation of their own choice," she said.
Ms Keith added that Tarras did not have the appropriate infrastructure to cope with something as large-scale as an international airport.
Major changes would need to be made in order to accommodate the project including adding double lanes to the single-lane bridges in the town as well as considering electricity consumption.
A Christchurch Airport spokesperson said the document demonstrated the airport’s thoroughness as they explored the need for new infrastructure in the region.
"In the longer term, the problem of resilience, sustainable transport and infrastructure capacity for Te Waipounamu [Otago region] that the project seeks to resolve will remain," he said.
With Sustainable Tarras also opposing the Santana Minerals gold mining project in Tarras, Ms Keith felt this spoke to a broader issue around the prioritisation of key infrastructure in the country.
She argued that a hospital in Dunedin or Central Otago would be a better focus for the region.
"It’s a matter of priorities, and neither Christchurch Airport nor Santana Minerals are promising to invest in local infrastructure or housing."
