Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is expected to announce the chair for a long-awaited committee for Wānaka Airport next week.

The Wānaka Airport Liaison Committee (WALC) chair will lead the committee of seven that will have a wide ranging remit that will touch on everything from airport development to environmental effects and will encourage collaboration between agencies.

“We expect the name of the new chair to be announced following the 27 April full council meeting,” QLDC media and channels advisor Sam White told the Wānaka App this week.

A WALC was first recommended 12 years ago and it was five years ago that it was designated to Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) in the District Plan. 

Recently local groups including the Wanaka Stakeholders Group (WSG) have ramped up their advocacy for the formation of the group.

"We've not been consulted at any stage, but then again when it comes to the airport we never have been," WSG chair Michael Ross said. "I would describe the time it has taken the council to make these appointments as breathtakingly slow."

He said WSG members did not understand why the formation process was taking place behind closed doors. 

"We are hoping that an independent chair will also lead to greatly increased levels of progress, transparency and community involvement. But we'll see," Michael said.

QLDC has defended the slow progress on the formation of the group and Sam said once the chair is announced the remaining committee members will be selected.

“QLDC and QAC - under its management services agreement with council for Wānaka Airport’s day-to-day operations - will work with the chair, once in place, to appoint the other committee members,” Sam said.

A single committee member, Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) chair Simon Telfer, was already named in February. 

The search for the WALC chair, which was advertised nationally, began in January and the QLDC governance subcommittee will review a report recommending its preferred candidate at today’s (Wednesday April 19) meeting, before it goes to full council next week.

PHOTO: Wānaka App