Latest news with #WānakaAirport
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
More local input needed on airport's future: lobby group
The Queenstown Lakes District Council is working on a master plan for Wānaka Airport. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A lobby group is worried local input on the future of Wanaka Airport will be non-existent. Last week about 30-40 locals attended an independently run consultation session. The consultation is being led by French engineering firm Egis on behalf of the Queenstown Lakes District Council. Wānaka Stakeholders Group has launched its own proposal for the airport, advocating for local governance. Chairwoman Meg Taylor stressed low numbers and feedback meant the council would go ahead and do what it wanted. She said the community was not informed the sessions were taking place. "It was very casual and not catching a lot of people. "I would like to see better governance, in the long term, and until that happens we have these ad-hoc engagements with the community and they are not particularly satisfactory." Wānaka Airport is owned by the council and operated by Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) under a management services agreement. Last year the council signalled its intent to develop a long-term plan for the airport. The stakeholder 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. Ms Taylor said it was important for Wanaka locals to have a role in the decision-making process. "What we want is Wānaka people to make that decision and that is why it comes down to governance and who runs it. "There is going to be ongoing decisions about growth, this town is growing," she said. "A more localised board, making the airport accountable for local people and ensuring there is transparency — nobody has seen financials for the past five years." The group is opposed to jet aircraft flying in and out of Wānaka. Meanwhile Queenstown Airport's manager of sustainability and corporate affairs Sarah Irvine said jetliner travel was not on the governing body's radar. "Our strategy is 100% not that." Ms Irvine said while the Queenstown Airport was not involved with community consultations, the airport understood the importance of feedback from the community due to mistakes made in the past. The stakeholder group said the governance format was wrong and the airport should be solely run by locals, rather than tied in with the larger international airport over the hill. Ms Irvine said the experience of those in Queenstown could help. "The benefit is you have the fourth busiest airport in the country lending expertise. "We have an extensive team and there is benefit in seasoned operators lending help to the Wanaka Airport." In a statement, Egis said: "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 Upper Clutha Community Board chairman Simon Telfer said everyone should get involved in the feedback. "There have been many ideas already, including supporting general aviation, increasing scheduled flights, allowing broader commercial activity and better preparing for natural disaster resilience." When the consultation rounds are finished a review will be written to 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.
Scoop
6 days ago
- Business
- 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
- Business
- 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.
Scoop
27-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
QLDC Annual Plan Adopted: Council Greenlights 2025-26 Budget And Fee Updates
Queenstown Lakes District Councillors yesterday adopted the Annual Plan 2025-2026 at the Full Council meeting, following an informal community engagement process and a separate consultation on proposed fees and charges. A formal consultation on the proposed user fees and charges for 2025-2026 was held earlier in the year, attracting 63 submissions. Following hearings and deliberations, the Council also adopted the updated fees and charges today, which will take effect from 1 July 2025. "The Annual Plan for 2025-2026 contains no significant changes from what was indicated for the year in the Long Term Plan 2024-2034 adopted by Council last September, including the average rates rise of 13.5%. We'd like to thank the community for their submissions in relation to fees and charges, and the general feedback received on the draft Annual Plan,' said Katherine Harbrow, QLDC Assurance, Finance and Risk General Manager. Queenstown Lakes District Council provides a wide range of user-pays services, including building and resource consent processing, dog registration, recreation facilities, parking, and access to Wānaka Airport. Fees and charges help ensure the cost of delivering these services is fairly shared between users and ratepayers, in line with Council's Revenue and Financing Policy. These Fees and charges updates are expected to contribute $2.4 million in additional revenue, directly offsetting what would have been an average 1.6% increase in rates. This year's fees and charges updates are part of a regular annual adjustment to keep pace with inflation, following the approach set out in the Long Term Plan to help avoid bigger, unexpected increases later on. For 2025–2026, inflation (CPI) was 2.6%, and most fees have been adjusted to match. A more tailored approach has been taken to reflect specific needs and circumstances in five key areas - Sport and Recreation, Planning and Development, Queenstown car parking, Dog Registration, and Wānaka Airport. The Development Contribution Policy was also updated for inflation (PPI) to ensure developers are paying for growth. As of 2024, the Queenstown Town Centre has over 3,000 public parking spaces, with around two-thirds still free. Parking fees and restrictions help manage demand and reduce congestion, with expanded public transport services from Otago Regional Council supporting more sustainable travel options. At Wānaka Airport, updated aircraft parking and landing fees apply to visiting pilots, though the first hour of parking remains free. These changes don't affect commercial or private operators based at the airport. Council has also improved how longer-term Wanaka airport parking is arranged and communicated. Dog registration fees fund key animal control services such as education, pound operations, and a 24/7 response service. A new cap limits working dog charges to two per property, and other changes bring fees in line with the Dog Control Act 1996, including updated Fees and charges for dangerous and menacing dogs. The next Annual Plan 2026-2027 will undergo its refresh once the new Council is formed post the 11 October Local Government election, with consultation expected to take place in March/April 2026. From November 2025, Council will also begin early engagement on the next Long Term Plan (2027-2037), providing the community with a meaningful opportunity to help shape future projects and investment priorities. More information on this process will be made available later this year. Also approved at yesterday's meeting was the setting of the rates. This rate setting flows from the Annual Plan and Council has elected to align the due dates with other Councils to have four equal instalments. This will assist ratepayers planning and assist the Council cashflow. Rates invoices will be sent to households on Friday 1 August. The full Annual Plan 2025-2026 including the Schedule of User Fees and Charges are available at
Scoop
25-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Egis Launches Wānaka Airport Community Consultation
Egis has initiated the first round of community engagement on the future of Wānaka Airport with an online survey and interactive map on the Let's Talk engagement platform. 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 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.
