Ladies Mile

We ask QLDC to protect the Ladies Mile section of State Highway 6 for possible future use by Hercules C130 aircraft during civil emergencies. It’s essential to retain high airlift capacity to enable the possible future closure of Queenstown Airport.

Council’s draft masterplan for Ladies Mile is a case in point, with two recommendations that would sabotage its future potential as an emergency runway.

First, the draft recommended the reduction of an existing 80 m building setback along the northern side of the state highway. The existing setback ensures building structures would not prevent aircraft from landing on the road.

Secondly, the draft landscape plan for the state highway features an avenue of trees. This unnecessary planting would obstruct any future potential for the road to be used as an emergency runway.

If we removed Queenstown Airport’s runway, then it would be essential to have a backup option for emergencies. With the ever-present risk of a serious earthquake causing a civil emergency, we must retain the ability to move large numbers of tourists out of the Wakatipu should the road access be damaged.

This can easily be achieved. With relatively minor modification the State Highway 6 at Ladies Mile could be used by Hercules C130 and C17 aircraft. It could then be designated a Lifeline Utility to replace Queenstown Airport.

Knowing these concerns and how easily they could be accommodated, it seems the draft Ladies Mile masterplan sought to expressly sabotage any future possibility of Queenstown Airport’s relocation. Good governance would seek to keep all options open for as long as possible.