We Love Wakatipu just got hold of the four airport scenarios being offered for community consultation, which were meant to have been delivered to focus group participants last week.  It is hard not to be cynical about what appears to be a crude attempt to exclude the most viable options.

Keeping ZQN within its existing air noise boundary and developing Wanaka for turbo props only is not an option, despite it being the one most likely to meet community demand on both sides of the Crown Range.  And despite the fact there’s still room for 1.6million more PAX/year using current capacity planes AND many, many more when airlines take up the 75% noise reduction technology already developed.  It could be smarter growth, not louder.

And their ‘new airport’ option involves building another airport in addition to the existing two – not relocating ZQN to free up this land for an alpine village, as has been strongly suggested by FlightPlan2050 and others.

By not including these options, the two that have been most promoted by community groups to date, the validity of MartinJenkins consultation exercise is further undermined.