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NZ Herald
16-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams' helipad bid, the Rolls Royce, and the Westmere rumour
'This is untrue and extremely hurtful,' the neighbour who was allegedly offered the car said during a hearing to decide Mowbray and Williams' resource consent application for their helipad. The woman was one of about 70 people arguing for and against the bid before independent commissioners this week. Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams' home is on a headland in Westmere. Photo / Alex Burton The local at the heart of the rumour told the Herald she was walking her dog three years ago and ran into another resident who said: 'I believe you were offered a Rolls Royce for your consent for the helipad.' 'I don't know what you are talking about,' is her recollection of her reply. 'I was mortified to think I could be bought off, and that is all it would take to get our consent. It is just awful…Anna and Ali have not bought anyone off,' said the resident, who drives an Audi. The episode was one of the more controversial moments at the helipad hearing. Proceedings got underway on Monday with the rich-listers' lawyer Chris Simmons and a team of six experts presenting their case at the old council chambers in the Auckland Town Hall. Simmons said the application is for no more than two take-off and landing flights a day, up to 10 flights per month, occurring within a two-hour window on either side of low tide when birds are out feeding. There would be no physical works because helicopters would land on the lawn, he said. It was Simmons' view that the concerns of the 1300 submitters opposed to the helipad were overstated or misunderstood, and community groups were not representative of the entire community. Ecologist Graham Don said the proposed flight rules would not affect roosting birds, and the effects on feeding and resting birds at low tide would be minor and transitory. Acoustic consultant Rhys Hegley said the helicopter planned to be used is an Airbus H130, which takes 60 seconds to descend 150m, idles for up to a minute while loading, and takes 20 seconds to reach 150m. He considered the predicted helicopter noise level to be reasonable to neighbours and considered the effects on the environment to be minor. The first layperson to give evidence was Steve Owen, who the Herald's Society Insider Ricardo Simich said this month was one of New Zealand's wealthiest property moguls and behind a $56 million property swop - selling his Mission Bay home and buying a Rawene Ave mansion designed and built by rich listers Tenby Powell and Sharon Hunter. Property mogul and Rawne Ave resident Steve Owen was the first layperson to speak in favour of the helipad. Owen said the investment Mowbray and Williams had put into their property and the wider community should be applauded, saying allowing them to have a helicopter leave from their peninsula is far less intrusive than neighbours mowing their lawns and jet skis using the upper harbour. There seems to be a 'trial by media' and the application feels like a case of tall poppy syndrome, he said. Williams and Mowbray did not attend the four-day hearing, but the sportsman's mother, Helen Williams, did. 'I am very proud to be the mother and mother-in-law of the applicants. I am proud because they want to spend their lives being constructive.' They cared deeply about being part of the community and had modified their plans to respond to concerns, she told the hearing. Helen Williams hoped the panel would make a decision based on the evidence without 'catastrophic outcome on human life and property' and 'decimation of the ecology and wildlife', a reference to opposing views. Opposition to the helipad has been led by Quiet Sky Waitematā - a group set up to oppose private helicopters in residential Auckland. Secretary Elena Keith is the public face of the fledgling group, with 17 members and 200 donors who have given well over $100,000 to fight the applicants. Elena Keith at the hearing for the proposed helipad. Elena and Gideon Keith submitted on their own on Tuesday, talking about how they have lived on Rawene Ave for the tranquillity and natural beauty of the area, raising a family using the foreshore as an extension of their backyard. 'There is no place for a helicopter here…it's a gross inequity,' she said. Elena said Williams and Mowbray wanted the helipad at their mansion to avoid a 15-minute drive to a public heliport at Albany. 'That's their problem. They shouldn't make it everyone else's problem, she said. Just two doors away from Williams and Mowbray's home, Julie Cato spoke about the big shock she received after moving into the 'peaceful and quiet street' last November. She wanted the resource consent application rejected 'in its entirety', outlining a long list of downsides, including the impact on frequent stays from young grandchildren, working from home in sight of choppers, the rotors throwing up dust and debris into the swimming pool and spa pool and water sports on the foreshore. 'I'm dismayed to think that our neighbourhood will be subject to such a disturbance,' Cato said. Quiet Sky's lawyer, Gill Chappell, submitted that the community group was deeply and genuinely concerned about the broad effects of helicopter activity on the environment. Sea birds on the headland where Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray have thier home. The effects on the birds, trees, and amenity were more than minor, and the application must be declined, she said. Dr Matthew Baber, an ecologist providing expert evidence for Quiet Sky, believed there would be at least moderate effects on the coastal birds foraging or resting during the two hours on either side of low tide. The group's noise expert, Peter Abbotson, said the 50 decibel noise level had the potential to comply, but this wasn't certain. The favoured northwest departure route would exceed 50 decibels, he said. Urban Auckland, a group of architects and other professionals dedicated to a better built and natural environment for the past 25 years, opposed the application. Chair Julie Stout said helipads in residential areas were not considered when the Auckland Unitary Plan was drawn up, and it was a developing trend that needed to be taken seriously. She said Waiheke Island provided a lesson where 64 helipads had been granted in relatively low-density residential areas, causing a cumulative effect of prolonged noise, destroying the quiet for everyone else. Sydney and Melbourne did not allow private landing pads in residential areas,' the architect said. St Marys Bay resident Helen Geary, whose family endures helicopter traffic up and down the harbour, said Auckland Council had assessed the resource consent application as non-complying and it should be declined. 'Setting a precedent is the elephant in the room here,' she said. Several of the 100 or so submitters in favour of the helipad spoke at the hearing. The hearing is being heard by commissioenrs(from left), Dr Hilke Giles, chairman Kitt Littlejohn and David Hill. The opponents had a common theme - Williams and Mowbray were community-minded, obtained expert advice, listened to concerns and had made changes. They also took potshots at the opponents. 'Let's begin with the core truth: this application is about enabling efficient, responsible transport for New Zealanders - Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams - who contribute significantly to our country's business, culture, and global reputation,' said Pt Chevalier resident Sally Chudzynski. 'Let's stop pretending this opposition is about saving birds or peace and quiet. It's about fear of change and tall poppy thinking,' she said. Andrew Haslett said: 'Every concern has been addressed, every environmental safeguard has been put in place, and the applicants have gone above and beyond to mitigate every potential impact.' One supporter to amply address the evidence, businesswoman Rochelle Moffitt, said the proposed consent conditions included independent noise monitoring from an ecologist who found that flying within two hours of low tide, roosting birds would be left undisturbed, and any effects on feeding birds would be minor and temporary. 'And it doesn't stop there. Monitoring the bird population is built into the consent, quarterly for two years with council oversight and the ability to review conditions,' she said. Things erupted on the last day of the hearing this week when the chair of the panel hearing the application, Kitt Littlejohn, threatened to 'get rid' of the Tree Council's Dr Mels Barton. Barton started her submission with photos alleging illegal removal, pruning, and thinning of protected trees on the couple's headland property when Littlejohn interjected, saying that was not relevant. He said she could give a relevant submission, but if she was going to argue, 'I will just get rid of you'. Tree Council spokesperson Dr Mels Barton. 'We have no evidence in front of us that there is any wrongdoing here. Even if it was, it is not relevant to the resource consent application. You don't refuse resource consent applications because people have done something historically,' Littlejohn said. When the row settled down, Barton said helicopters would have a significant impact on tree health and stability. Rotor downwash would lead to winds of up to severe gale force through the crowns of trees, lifting and twisting branches, likely damaging canopies, and shortening the trees' lives. New plantings would not survive, she said. Speaking to the Herald after the incident, Barton said Littlejohn should not prejudge how submitters tell their story. 'I have never been threatened with being thrown out before. That was an unnecessary and over-the-top reaction,' said Barton, who has been making submissions for 25 years. The hearing, being heard before three commissioners, Littlejohn, David Hill and Dr Hilke Giles, has been adjourned until May 29. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scottish Sun
02-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
The Canadian bucket list destination with a natural wonder of the world, stunning car-free islands and great wine
The bucket-list destination is now even easier for Brits to reach OVER THE TOP The Canadian bucket list destination with a natural wonder of the world, stunning car-free islands and great wine WE'RE hovering in mid-air at 2,500ft – when the scale of this natural phenomenon hits me. Gripping on to my seatbelt, I peer out of the helicopter window and am met with the sight of 19million gallons of water rushing into an icy gorge every minute. Advertisement 5 Canada's Niagara Helicopters have safely taken tourists over the Falls for the last 64 years Credit: Getty 5 The Sun's Emily Webber in the helicopter Credit: Supplied 5 You're surrounded by glitzy skyscrapers, great nightlife, fabulous food in Toronto Credit: Getty Our pilot welcomes us to Niagara Falls and, almost on cue, a rainbow forms as the sun clashes with the torrents of turquoise water. This ride is not for the faint-hearted, but the team at Canada's Niagara Helicopters assure me that they have safely taken tourists over the Falls for the last 64 years. The bucket-list destination is now even easier for Brits to reach, thanks to Virgin Atlantic's new direct service between Heathrow and Toronto Pearson International Airport. After touching down, you can be in the heart of Canada's 'city that never sleeps' in just 25 minutes via the UP Express train (£6.70 one way). Advertisement Step off at Union station and you're surrounded by glitzy skyscrapers, great nightlife, fabulous food and Canada's biggest natural history museum, the Royal Ontario Museum. You've also got the stunning Niagara Falls right on your doorstep. Back in the chopper, my 12-minute flight begins at the Two Sisters Vineyards, a winery spanning 130 acres on the banks of the Niagara River. After watching the slick Airbus H130 land in front of the vineyard's chateau, I hop aboard. Advertisement We quickly ascend skyward and head to the Falls. The helicopter makes a swift turn and my stomach flips as our pilot tries to get the best view of the waterfall, formed 12,000 years ago during the Ice Age. Martin Lewis gives travel advice about checking your passport With the sun beating down on the Niagara River — frozen from a cold snap overnight — we make our way to Lake Ontario. The cool blue water and sandy shore of Ontario — one of the five Great Lakes of North America — is a stark contrast from the river of white. Advertisement Circling back for a smooth landing, it's time to enjoy the fruits of Ontario — by sampling the best that Two Sisters has to offer (tastings from £16pp). I am handed a flute of its 2021 Lush Sparkling — a pale pink fizz, ripe with citrus zest and cranberries — as master sommelier Dieter welcomes us. This is a passion project by Italian sisters Melissa Marotta-Paolicelli and Angela Marotta, who bought a peach orchard in 2006 and transformed it into the vineyard that now produces around 150,000 bottles of wine every year. Dieter says: 'Here, it is not the boardroom table, it is the kitchen table. The family sits down and there is a lot of waving of hands. 'They are not making decisions because the technical experts say you should do things a certain way. Advertisement Cheesy chips 'They are doing things from the heart and from their love of wine.' We stroll through immaculate rows of vines before descending to a candle-lit table in The Barrel Room, where we feast on fresh salads, crispy saffron chicken and hand-made rigatoni. With full bellies and Niagara Falls ticked off our bucket lists, we then decamp to the five-star 1 Hotel Toronto, in the cool King West Village neighbourhood. This former industrial area is now a buzzing district of bars, boutiques and outdoor markets selling everything from art to craft beer and poutine — Canada's answer to cheesy chips and gravy. Advertisement With reclaimed wood interiors and organic composters, the hotel has sustainability at its core, but with a touch of luxury. 5 Owners of Two Sisters Vineyards, Melissa and Angela Credit: 5 Enjoy a bike tour of the Toronto Islands Credit: Getty Decorated in a soothing natural palette, my room feels like a retreat from the hive of activity outside the window. Advertisement At breakfast there is local farm-to-table cuisine. Overnight oats and chia-seed puddings sit beside streaky bacon and fresh pancakes served with lashings of maple syrup. Fuelled up, I brave the cold for a bike tour of the Toronto Islands, a 13-minute ferry ride from downtown. Ryan and Sydney from Toronto Bicycle Tours meet us with bikes, and fleeced ponchos to protect us from the elements. At the ferry terminal we join island dwellers bundling groceries into their bike baskets as they return to their little oasis. Advertisement These 15 small islands were used as a training base for the Norwegian Air Force during World War Two. Now they are home to around 700 people, along with a school, petting zoo and lighthouse — with no visitors' cars allowed. We pedal along the boardwalk, taking in fantastic views of the skyline, dominated by the CN Tower with its revolving restaurant 1,151ft up in the air. Cycling along car-free tracks, breathing fresh island air after a whirlwind trip of helicopters and wine tasting, I'm on a different kind of high. Advertisement
The Irish Sun
02-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
The Canadian bucket list destination with a natural wonder of the world, stunning car-free islands and great wine
WE'RE hovering in mid-air at 2,500ft – when the scale of this natural phenomenon hits me. Gripping on to my seatbelt, I peer out of the helicopter window and am met with the sight of 19million gallons of water rushing into an icy gorge every minute. 5 Canada's Niagara Helicopters have safely taken tourists over the Falls for the last 64 years Credit: Getty 5 The Sun's Emily Webber in the helicopter Credit: Supplied 5 You're surrounded by glitzy skyscrapers, great nightlife, fabulous food in Toronto Credit: Getty Our pilot welcomes us to Niagara Falls and, almost on cue, a rainbow forms as the sun clashes with the torrents of turquoise water. This ride is not for the faint-hearted, but the team at Canada's Niagara Helicopters assure me that they have safely taken tourists over the Falls for the last 64 years. The bucket-list destination is now even easier for Brits to reach, thanks to Virgin Atlantic's new direct service between Heathrow and Toronto Pearson International Airport. After touching down, you can be in the heart of Canada's 'city that never sleeps' in just 25 minutes via the UP Express train (£6.70 one way). READ MORE ON NIAGARA FALLS Step off at Union station and you're surrounded by glitzy skyscrapers, great nightlife, fabulous food and Canada's biggest natural history museum, the Royal Ontario Museum. You've also got the stunning Niagara Falls right on your doorstep. Back in the chopper, my 12-minute flight begins at the Two Sisters Vineyards, a winery spanning 130 acres on the banks of the Niagara River. After watching the slick Airbus H130 land in front of the vineyard's chateau, I hop aboard. Most read in News Travel We quickly ascend skyward and head to the Falls. The helicopter makes a swift turn and my stomach flips as our pilot tries to get the best view of the waterfall, formed 12,000 years ago during the Ice Age. Martin Lewis gives travel advice about checking your passport With the sun beating down on the Niagara River — frozen from a cold snap overnight — we make our way to Lake Ontario. The cool blue water and sandy shore of Ontario — one of the five Great Lakes of North America — is a stark contrast from the river of white. Circling back for a smooth landing, it's time to enjoy the fruits of Ontario — by sampling the best that Two Sisters has to offer (tastings from £16pp). I am handed a flute of its 2021 Lush Sparkling — a pale pink fizz, ripe with citrus zest and cranberries — as master sommelier Dieter welcomes us. This is a passion project by Italian sisters Melissa Marotta-Paolicelli and Angela Marotta, who bought a peach orchard in 2006 and transformed it into the vineyard that now produces around 150,000 bottles of wine every year. Dieter says: 'Here, it is not the boardroom table, it is the kitchen table. The family sits down and there is a lot of waving of hands. 'They are not making decisions because the technical experts say you should do things a certain way. Cheesy chips 'They are doing things from the heart and from their love of wine.' We stroll through immaculate rows of vines before descending to a candle-lit table in The Barrel Room, where we feast on fresh salads, crispy saffron chicken and hand-made rigatoni. With full bellies and This former industrial area is now a buzzing district of bars, boutiques and outdoor markets selling everything from art to craft beer and poutine — Canada's answer to cheesy chips and gravy. With reclaimed wood interiors and organic composters, the hotel has sustainability at its core, but with a touch of luxury. 5 Owners of Two Sisters Vineyards, Melissa and Angela Credit: 5 Enjoy a bike tour of the Toronto Islands Credit: Getty Decorated in a soothing natural palette, my room feels like a retreat from the hive of activity outside the window. At breakfast there is local farm-to-table cuisine. Overnight oats and chia-seed puddings sit beside streaky bacon and fresh pancakes served with lashings of maple syrup. Fuelled up, I brave the cold for a bike tour of the Toronto Islands, a 13-minute ferry ride from downtown. Ryan and Sydney from Toronto Bicycle Tours meet us with bikes, and fleeced ponchos to protect us from the elements. At the ferry terminal we join island dwellers bundling groceries into their bike baskets as they return to their little oasis. These 15 small islands were used as a training base for the Now they are home to around 700 people, along with a school, petting zoo and lighthouse — with no visitors' cars allowed. We pedal along the boardwalk, taking in fantastic views of the skyline, dominated by the CN Tower with its revolving restaurant 1,151ft up in the air. Cycling along car-free tracks, breathing fresh island air after a whirlwind trip of helicopters and wine tasting, I'm on a different kind of high. GO: TORONTO/NIAGARA GETTING THERE: Virgin Atlantic flies direct from Heathrow to Toronto, with return fares from £391 per person on select departures in May including complimentary food, drink and in-flight entertainment. See STAYING THERE : Double rooms at the 1 Hotel Toronto are from £242 per night. See
The Sun
02-05-2025
- The Sun
The Canadian bucket list destination with a natural wonder of the world, stunning car-free islands and great wine
WE'RE hovering in mid-air at 2,500ft – when the scale of this natural phenomenon hits me. Gripping on to my seatbelt, I peer out of the helicopter window and am met with the sight of 19million gallons of water rushing into an icy gorge every minute. 5 5 5 Our pilot welcomes us to Niagara Falls and, almost on cue, a rainbow forms as the sun clashes with the torrents of turquoise water. This ride is not for the faint-hearted, but the team at Canada's Niagara Helicopters assure me that they have safely taken tourists over the Falls for the last 64 years. The bucket-list destination is now even easier for Brits to reach, thanks to Virgin Atlantic's new direct service between Heathrow and Toronto Pearson International Airport. After touching down, you can be in the heart of Canada's 'city that never sleeps' in just 25 minutes via the UP Express train (£6.70 one way). Step off at Union station and you're surrounded by glitzy skyscrapers, great nightlife, fabulous food and Canada's biggest natural history museum, the Royal Ontario Museum. You've also got the stunning Niagara Falls right on your doorstep. Back in the chopper, my 12-minute flight begins at the Two Sisters Vineyards, a winery spanning 130 acres on the banks of the Niagara River. After watching the slick Airbus H130 land in front of the vineyard's chateau, I hop aboard. We quickly ascend skyward and head to the Falls. The helicopter makes a swift turn and my stomach flips as our pilot tries to get the best view of the waterfall, formed 12,000 years ago during the Ice Age. Martin Lewis gives travel advice about checking your passport With the sun beating down on the Niagara River — frozen from a cold snap overnight — we make our way to Lake Ontario. The cool blue water and sandy shore of Ontario — one of the five Great Lakes of North America — is a stark contrast from the river of white. Circling back for a smooth landing, it's time to enjoy the fruits of Ontario — by sampling the best that Two Sisters has to offer (tastings from £16pp). I am handed a flute of its 2021 Lush Sparkling — a pale pink fizz, ripe with citrus zest and cranberries — as master sommelier Dieter welcomes us. This is a passion project by Italian sisters Melissa Marotta-Paolicelli and Angela Marotta, who bought a peach orchard in 2006 and transformed it into the vineyard that now produces around 150,000 bottles of wine every year. Dieter says: 'Here, it is not the boardroom table, it is the kitchen table. The family sits down and there is a lot of waving of hands. 'They are not making decisions because the technical experts say you should do things a certain way. Cheesy chips 'They are doing things from the heart and from their love of wine.' We stroll through immaculate rows of vines before descending to a candle-lit table in The Barrel Room, where we feast on fresh salads, crispy saffron chicken and hand-made rigatoni. With full bellies and Niagara Falls ticked off our bucket lists, we then decamp to the five-star 1 Hotel Toronto, in the cool King West Village neighbourhood. This former industrial area is now a buzzing district of bars, boutiques and outdoor markets selling everything from art to craft beer and poutine — Canada's answer to cheesy chips and gravy. With reclaimed wood interiors and organic composters, the hotel has sustainability at its core, but with a touch of luxury. 5 5 Decorated in a soothing natural palette, my room feels like a retreat from the hive of activity outside the window. At breakfast there is local farm-to-table cuisine. Overnight oats and chia-seed puddings sit beside streaky bacon and fresh pancakes served with lashings of maple syrup. Fuelled up, I brave the cold for a bike tour of the Toronto Islands, a 13-minute ferry ride from downtown. Ryan and Sydney from Toronto Bicycle Tours meet us with bikes, and fleeced ponchos to protect us from the elements. At the ferry terminal we join island dwellers bundling groceries into their bike baskets as they return to their little oasis. These 15 small islands were used as a training base for the Norwegian Air Force during World War Two. Now they are home to around 700 people, along with a school, petting zoo and lighthouse — with no visitors' cars allowed. We pedal along the boardwalk, taking in fantastic views of the skyline, dominated by the CN Tower with its revolving restaurant 1,151ft up in the air. Cycling along car-free tracks, breathing fresh island air after a whirlwind trip of helicopters and wine tasting, I'm on a different kind of high.
