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Transport Minister Michael Wood has decided not to make a recommendation to the Governor General that would give North Shore Aero Club the powers it says it needs to expand.
North Shore Aero club, which owns the airport in Dairy Flat, applied for Airport Authority status in 2020 and a public meeting in Dairy Flat, and around 500 submissions, followed.
Airport Authority status gives the airport powers, including making bylaws and compulsory acquisition of land. The proposal was opposed by a large number of residents, because of the potential for expansion of the airport.
The application and submissions have been on the Minister’s desk since October 2021, awaiting his decision.
To help him formulate a decision the Minister heard the issues, face to face at a public meeting held on May 14 in Albany and then requested further information from the Ministry of Transport.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Minister Wood said today that he is not convinced that granting Authority status to the Airport would be a helpful addition to the transport network in general and the aviation network in particular.
“There also remain unresolved questions about what future requirements could be were the airport to grow; and sufficient consultation between the airport and the community had not occurred,” the spokesperson said.
