Context
QAC’s demand-led growth and dual airport expansion plans fail to address escalating community concerns. Councillors responded by refusing its statement of intent.
QLDC full council meeting
June 27, 2019
Hello everyone, I’m Cath Gilmour of KPCA and I’d like to speak on QAC’s statement of intent.
To say I’m gutted is an understatement. As you should be, as you too have been ignored. And this SOI is councillors’ one chance to influence QAC’s subsequent actions.
The only council instruction that QAC has followed is transparency – in making clear its intent to ignore the vehement public and business sector feedback that its expansion plans go way beyond what is tenable for the communities that host both airports.
The SOI does make passing reference to alignment with QLDC’s strategic priorities and spatial planning, encouraging community feedback and seeking insight from long-term planning initiatives – all as instructed by councillors.
But nowhere in its table of performance metrics and priority projects does it actually commit to achieving any of these.
And we all know that if it’s not a priority, if it’s not a project, if it is not measured – it will not happen.
The SOI describes QAC as “a demand-driven public transport infrastructure business.” But as a CCTO, its business DNA should reflect the strategic goals of its majority shareholding council. It does not.
The officer’s report makes clear the only council document the SOI referred to was the 10-year plan.
Despite council’s command that it pay heed to potential loss of social licence, it does not. This SOI allows QAC to continue its noise boundary expansion plans.
Nor does it commit QAC to seriously investigating other options if the dual airport strategy clashes irredeemably with council objectives or spatial plans.
Because QAC has only investigated its preferred option, chosen through its narrow, short-term business lens.
This puts councillors in a predicament because you are required to look at all reasonable options, grounded on solid research and analysis, before reaching decisions on the best path forward.
QAC says there is only one – though we all know there are at least two more. Council instructed QAC to look at working with Invercargill and Dunedin airports to reduce demand pressure. The SOI shows it has no intention to. QAC has also ignored viable alternatives for relocating Queenstown Airport, despite earlier promises to study them.
Under section 8 of the Local Government Act, Councillors have the right to compel the QAC board to amend the SOI.
On behalf of the communities you represent, I believe you also have the responsibility to do so.
You are under no obligation to accept the SOI today.
I ask that you instead table the SOI until QAC directors commit to:
- Alignment with Council’s strategic objectives and spatial plans, both current and in development over the next year – including the upcoming MBIE one.
- Full, independent analysis of other management strategies – including capping numbers at both airports, greater regional dispersal of flights and relocation of Queenstown Airport.
- Non-expansion of ZQN noise boundaries – so that QAC does not cause tourism to lose its social licence.
Otherwise, the district’s two resorts will be peopled by sullen hosts who feel their rights have been trampled on. That is not a recipe for success.
Talking of trampling, Queenstown Airport is not just the elephant in the room, it is a whole herd of them, loudly occupying our most valuable Frankton land, trumpeting over our backyard BBQs and stunning natural landscapes.
A quick segue to your climate change agenda item – QLDC’s boldest and most effective move would be to halt QAC’s expansion plans. Neither Queenstown nor Wanaka runways can ever take wide-bodied jets, which are the best immediate answer for reducing both carbon emissions and overall noise levels.