After a turbulent history, Wānaka Airport has been given “a clear sense of direction” thanks to a report on its future options, which was presented to elected members in Wānaka yesterday (Tuesday February 10).

Staff from consultancy firm Egis presented a summary of their final report on the Wānaka Airport Future Review to Queenstown Lakes District councillors and the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB).

The report also makes recommendations for the future planning and management of Wānaka airport, including the development of a masterplan.

“We think QLDC and Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) need to rebuild their relationships with the community … a masterplan provides a good opportunity for that,” the Egis consultant said. 

The project was “a genuine attempt by QLDC to connect with the community”, Egis said, following a loss of trust in the council and QAC, and concerns about airport management - which were common themes in community feedback.

“When asked about management at the airport, the idea of local oversight was popular,” the summary says. 

“We interpreted some of this to be a result of low transparency with the current operating model and financial performance of the community asset. A lack of clarity on future airport development has created a vacuum of information and resulted in mistrust around the airport’s ambitions.”

During consultation last year, the Egis project team identified a series of possible scenarios for the airport’s potential future based on the feedback from the two rounds of public consultation and online engagement.

The most supported scenario was ‘Scenario 3: Wānaka Airport to be a general aviation airport with domestic routes to Christchurch and/or Wellington’. There was also support for the current uses and users of the airport, and a desire for the airport (which currently operates at a loss) to be financially self-sustaining.

Egis said if QAC isn’t on board with the community’s favoured scenario, then the corporation “should probably walk away” and find another operator for the airport.

Wānaka Airport is owned by QLDC and operated by QAC under a management services agreement. In 2021, the High Court found that QLDC’s granting of the Wānaka Airport lease to the QAC was unlawful. The judicial review was brought to the High Court by the Wānaka Stakeholders Group, which believed QLDC had not consulted properly and transparently about plans for the airport.

Simon Telfer emphasised that Egis’ final report was “not the end game”.

“The community board has been asking for this for a couple of years… to give clarity on the strategic direction of the airport for the next 30 years.”

Read the summary of Egis’ final report here (item 3 on the workshop agenda).

The full report is expected to be delivered to QLDC next week.

PHOTOS: Wānaka App