A new group is being welcomed to the fight plans for an international airport at Tarras.
The new airport is being proposed by Christchurch International Airport Ltd, which is majority owned by Christchurch City Council.
The group, called Stop Central Otago Airport, has been set up by Hawea Flat Extinction Rebellion member Zella Downing.
Its website says: "New Zealanders didn’t ask for this, Central Otago doesn’t need it, the locals weren’t even consulted ..."
One of the founders of Sustainable Tarras Marilyn Duxon said yesterday there had been discussions with the new group, which planned to represent broader interests than just those of Tarras residents.
"We’re very much working together.
"I think it’s great there’s more than one group opposing the airport.
"It’s not just a little set of nimbys at Tarras, it’s actually the entire community that hates this idea."
Ms Duxon said the only residents in favour of the airport were "a very small number of very vocal older mostly male people" who had a very old-fashioned view of what progress was.
On its website, the new group predicts 70-100 flights in or out of Tarras Airport every 24 hours and says Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill Airports had plenty of spare capacity.
Ms Downing could not be reached yesterday.
