After years of debate the Queenstown Lakes District Council has made a move that will please residents who have been saying the Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) has not been listening to their main shareholder – local ratepayers.

A draft Statement of Expectations, to be tabled at a full council meeting this Thursday, lays down the way QLDC expects the QAC to consult with the council as its 75% shareholder, including more clarity in strategic planning, clearer Statements of Intent and more community consultation.

The draft Statement of Expectations has already been supported by 25% shareholder Auckland International Airport Ltd (AIAL).

The document calls for more meetings between the airport corporation and council, as well as defining exactly how QAC needs to listen to the community:

“The QAC will maintain a proactive consultative relationship with the local communities affected by the operation of the airports and consult with them in a meaningful way on any masterplans covering the future development of the airports. “

Source: QLDC draft Statement of Expectations – January 2021.

The QLDC document also pushes QAC towards greater cooperation with Dunedin and Invercargill airports, to potentially head off the Tarras airport challenge from Christchurch Airport.

“The QAC has established a Memorandum of Understanding with Dunedin Airport and Invercargill Airport to foster a collaborative working relationship and to facilitate greater cooperation. QLDC supports and endorse this initiative and expects that any actions arising from the MOU will be consistent with all other expectations set out in this SOE and provisions of the SOI. “

Read this in full here.