New Airport Plan goes back to Court
Queenstown Airport's "nationally significant" expansion plans have been blocked by the High Court after an earlier Environment Court battle. The Queenstown Airport Corporation has been engaged in a legal battle over undeveloped land that the airport says is critical to the long-term expansion of the aerodrome, the fastest-growing in New Zealand. The land - owned by Porter family business Remarkables Park Ltd - was subject to a notice of requirement and labelled a nationally significant proposal by Environment Minister Amy Adams in 2011. However, Remarkables Park opposed the bid for "priceless" land and argued other land near the airport was suitable for expansion, namely taxiways and hangars for light aircraft and helicopters. With additional land, the airport proposed that general aviation move north of the runway, but Queenstown Lakes District Council, RPL and Air New Zealand objected. The court decision by Justice Christian Whata in the Inverca...
