Airport Impact Assessments

How do our airports affect your ability to work, live and play in the Queenstown Lakes District?

The MartinJenkins survey closed on 11 March 2020.

Back in August, Mayor Boult and the Councillors unanimously committed to putting a hold on further development of Queenstown Airport’s noise boundaries or introducing commercial flights into Wānaka Airport until the pros and cons were properly understood.

Last year, we announced that independent experts MartinJenkins had been appointed to conduct a combined economic and social impact assessment for various possible futures for the airports. The work will give Councillors the insights they need to make informed decisions.

As part of their assessment, the MartinJenkins team want to hear from the community and other stakeholders about their views on future airport development. As well as meeting with a cross-section of people and groups in February 2020, they are running an online survey so that everyone can have their say, the survey responses are just as important as the focus group findings.

Things for you to know:

• The survey is independent – it is being delivered by MartinJenkins not by QLDC or the Queenstown Airport Company
• The survey is anonymous – no individuals will be identified through the survey.
• Anyone can complete the survey – whether you are a resident, business owner or just passing through our district
• Findings from the survey will inform MartinJenkins' assessment of the economic and social impacts for future development scenarios
• The survey is open until 11 March 2020

Please note, these assessments and analyses are an early part of understanding the future role of the district's airports.

Other processes where the Council and the community can be involved to shape final outcomes will include engagement from QAC on any masterplanning for the district's airports.

Focus Group Material

In the document library to the right you will find the materials that were presented by MartinJenkins to focus group attendees:

• some relevant information on the Queenstown Lakes District to inform the discussion,
• some relevant information on Queenstown Lakes airports to inform the discussion,
• a PowerPoint presentation to support the focus group sessions;
• blank activity sheets used to facilitate two activities and discussions during the focus group.

Please note that the hypothetical scenarios presented in these documents differ slightly from those presented in the focus groups on the 17, 18 and 19 February 2020.