
Egis Launches Wānaka Airport Community Consultation
As part of an independent review to determine the future of Wānaka Airport, Egis is engaging with Queenstown Lakes District communities to hear their feedback on travel, community lifestyle values and their vision and preferred outcomes for the regional airport.
Two in-person community sessions will be hosted by the Egis team in Wānaka on Friday, 27 June between 4.00pm – 7.00pm at Studio Space, Paetara Aspiring Central, and on Saturday, 28 June between 9:00am - 11:00am at the Wānaka Recreation Centre.
The public is also being encouraged to provide feedback online through until Tuesday, 15 July 2025 at letstalk.qldc.govt.nz/wanaka-airport-future-review.
Kerr Forbes, Aviation Lead for Egis in Australia and New Zealand, said: «Airports are critical infrastructure that serve communities. It is vital we seek community input into how Wānaka Airport should develop into the future. This is why we are commencing a first round of community engagement this month with two drop-in sessions in Wānaka. We have opened our online engagement for those who cannot get to one of the drop-in sessions. I encourage everyone in the community with an interest in Wānaka Airport to have their say, » he said.
This review will explore the airport's long-term role, its economic impact, and its integration into New Zealand's broader aeronautical network.
Following the first round of engagement, Egis will develop several potential future scenarios for Wānaka Airport. There will then be a second round of engagement in early August 2025, to enable the community to evaluate and provide feedback on these scenarios, involving more in person drop-in sessions in Wānaka and a further online feedback option.
Wānaka Airport, in New Zealand's Otago region, is owned by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and operated by Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) under a management services agreement. In July 2024 QLDC signalled its intent to develop a long-term plan for the Wānaka Airport and engaged Egis to undertake the Wānaka Airport future review.
About Egis
Egis is an international player active in architecture, consulting, construction engineering and mobility services. We create and operate intelligent infrastructures and buildings that respond to the climate emergency and contribute to more balanced, sustainable and resilient territorial development.
Operating in 100 countries, Egis puts the expertise of its 19,500 employees at the service of its clients and develops cutting-edge innovations accessible to all projects. Through its wide range of activities, Egis is a key player in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.

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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
More local input needed on airport's future: lobby group
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Scoop
30-06-2025
- Scoop
Egis Undertakes Wānaka Airport Community Engagement
The Egis team hosted the in-person community drop-in sessions in Wānaka over the weekend, on Friday 27 June and Saturday 28 July. Both sessions were well-attended, with an engaged local community participating and contributing actively. The interactive sessions allowed the community to have their say on the issues that mattered most to them, such as feedback on travel, community lifestyle values, and their vision and preferred outcomes for the regional airport. Wānaka Airport, in New Zealand's Otago region, is owned by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and operated by Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) under a management services agreement. In July 2024 QLDC signalled its intent to develop a long-term plan for the Wānaka Airport and engaged Egis to undertake the Wānaka Airport future review. Queenstown Lakes District Council Councillor Cody Tucker, who attended the session on Friday, commented: «Great job on the drop-in session. The interactive format made it fun and engaging, almost like a Wānaka Airport-themed board game creatively plastered with stickers and comments. » For community members who were unable to attend the drop-in sessions, we encourage you to share your feedback online. Submissions are open until Tuesday 15 July 2025, at Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board Chair, Simon Telfer, reinforced this message to submit community feedback by saying: «It's important for everyone to go online and influence the future of Wānaka Airport. There have been many ideas already, including supporting general aviation, increasing scheduled flights, allowing broader commercial activity, and better preparing for natural disaster resilience. What are your thoughts? I'd love to see input from younger voices also, as this planning will benefit both current and future generations. » Following the first round of engagement, Egis will develop a series of potential future scenarios for Wānaka Airport. A second round of engagement will take place in August 2025, allowing the community to review and provide feedback on these scenarios. This will include additional in-person drop-in sessions in Wānaka, as well as an option to share feedback online. Egis recognises the value of community feedback and how it positively contributes to the successful delivery of our projects.


Otago Daily Times
28-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Residents urged to have say on future of airport
The wider Upper Clutha community is being encouraged to share their views on the future of Wānaka Airport — but one group says those in Queenstown appear to be pre-determining the outcome. The consultation is being led by French engineering firm Egis on behalf of the Queenstown Lakes District Council. Last month, the Wānaka Stakeholders Group launched its own proposal for the airport, advocating for a development model centred on strong local input. The group is pushing for a plan that reflects the interests of the entire Upper Clutha region, emphasising community involvement in governance, management, accountability, and investment decisions. The public consultation is seen as a critical opportunity for residents to shape the future direction of the regional airport. Group chairwoman Meg Taylor said the council was proceeding with a "dual process" — an application for qualifying aerodrome certification and a Wānaka Airport future review, both to be completed by 2027. "While it would be nice to think that this is simply a matter of ensuring much-needed upgrades to the aerodrome, the narrative around this project is murky. "What does concern us is that while safety and efficiency is an important consideration, council and Queenstown Airport Corporation have been consistently working to expand the airport and enable increased commercial flights ahead of consultation with the public and before the Wanaka Airport future review." Ms Taylor said the council was asking the Upper Clutha community what it wanted to happen at the airport, but risked pre-determining that outcome. The stakeholder group said the airport already has a strong community and would not want to lose that. It has supported commercial aviation such as tourism and agriculture, as well as general aviation for private pilots. The group said people wanted Wanaka Airport to avoid "growth-at-any-cost and over-tourism". This review will explore the airport's long-term role, its economic impact and its integration into New Zealand's broader aeronautical network. Following the first round of engagement, Egis will develop several possible scenarios for the airport. There will then be a second round of engagement in early August. Two in-person community sessions will take place — today at Studio Space, Paetara Aspiring Central from 4pm-7pm and tomorrow between 9am and 11am at the Wānaka Recreation Centre.