The Queenstown Lakes District Council is seeking legal advice over Christchurch International Airport Ltd’s plans to establish an airport at Tarras.

Last week the Otago Daily Times reported Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult had written to Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel “expressing my disappointment and asking for her views” on the proposal, revealed publicly in July.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council is the majority shareholder in Queenstown Airport, while Christchurch City Council is also the majority shareholder of its airport.

Airport bid ‘predatory activity’ [Otago Daily Times, 26/11/20]

Mr Boult, in a letter to Queenstown Airport Board chairwoman Adrienne Young-Cooper, labelled CCC’s move to profit from the Queenstown Lakes District a “predatory activity” designed to attack the value of Queenstown Airport, and said the proposed new airport was an “unwelcome intrusion into our district”.

Ms Dalziel responded to Mr Boult’s letter, sent two or three weeks earlier, last Wednesday afternoon.

Yesterday Mr Boult, Christchurch Airport’s chief executive from 2009 to 2013, said he was unable to comment on the contents of Ms Dalziel’s letter, however, he confirmed the council was “taking legal advice”.

“I just can’t say anything [further] because it’s now subject to what lawyers say.”

He was also unable to comment as to whether the subsequent advice would be presented to full council.

Read this on the ODT website here.