Whenuapai Re-zoning

[Dave Homewood]

From Scoop www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0702/S00227.htm

Council Promotes District Plan Change
Wednesday, 21 February 2007, 4:27 pm
Press Release: North Shore City Council

North Shore City Council is urging residents to find out more about Waitakere City’s proposed plan change to rezone the existing airbase at Whenuapai.

North Shore City is reminding its residents that they have the opportunity to have their say on the proposal, and that the closing date for feedback on the plan change (Plan Change 22), which affects land currently occupied by the Whenuapai Airbase, is March 7.

The proposed plan change, notified on December 20 2006, allows for the creation of an Airport Special Area at Whenuapai. This plan change, if adopted, would hold open the opportunity for Whenuapai to be used as a commercial airport in the future.

Chairman of North Shore City Council’s strategic management committee, Gary Holmes, says the plan change is strictly Waitakere City’s but North Shore City residents and the city itself are fully entitled to make submissions on the issue, which has the potential to have direct and significant impacts on North Shore City communities.

The draft plan change and supporting documents, as well as standard forms for making submissions are available from the Waitakere City Council’s service centre, and on the council’s website at www.waitakere.govt.nz. Copies of the submission form are also available by phoning the Waitakere City Council’s 24 hour call centre on 839 0400.

In addition, North Shore City is making Waitakere City’s information on the plan change available to residents through its area offices and libraries.

Waitakere City Council’s chairman of the City Development Committee, Penny Hulse, says the plan change is seen as a necessary step so that the commercial airport option can be preserved as a possible future use.

[Dave Homewood]

From www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/auckland/3967487a6497.html

Airport change not notified
By EDWARD GAY - North Shore Times | Tuesday, 20 February 2007


North Shore City Council is not notifying residents of a Waitakere city plan change that could allow a commercial airport at Whenuapai.

This is despite a 2005 strategic management committee resolution that said joint notification by the two councils should take place.

Whenuapai Airport Action Group, an airport opposition group, says the proposed flight paths over the East Coast Bays will cause noise and pollution.

A resolution passed in January 2005 by the strategic management committee says plan changes and resource consent applications for a commercial airport "should include joint notification, reporting and hearings" between the councils.

But North Shore mayor George Wood says the resolution only applies to a resource consent for a commercial airport.

He says the North Shore City Council has not publicly notified Plan Change 22 because it is a Waitakere plan change.

"Back in 2005 there were some thoughts that North Shore city would have to change its district plan in relation to noise but that's not the case. We don't have any regulatory role," Mr Wood says.

He says the plan change was notified on December 20 in the New Zealand Herald by Waitakere City Council.

Public consultation on Waitakere's plan change ends on March 7.

Mr Wood says Waitakere also plans to put an advertisement in the North Shore Times.

In a June 2006 resolution, the strategic management committee supported Plan Change 22 being notified for North Shore and Waitakere residents to have their say.

East Coast Bays Community Board chairwoman Sally Cargill says her board has just put up signs in the area telling people of the plan change.

She says she knew the airport was in the pipeline but was unaware how much it could affect the local community.

"I didn't realise how intrusive the planes flying over would be," Ms Cargill says.

She says the Whenuapai Airport Action Group spoke to the board and told them about pollution that could affect houses in the East Coast Bays area.

After hearing from the group, the community board has put up signs in its area alerting people to the plan change.

The plan change is due to be discussed at the strategic management committee meeting today.

[Dave Homewood]

Here are John Key's views on saving Whenuapai. Git!
www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/auckland/3940154a6016.html

Whenuapai won't fly says Key
By EDWARD GAY - North Shore Times | Friday, 26 January 2007


The planned commercial airport at Whenuapai won't deliver an increase in jobs or help the North Shore economy, says National Party leader and Helensville MP John Key.

"If the airport will generate the business activity that groups like North Shore Enterprise have said it will then it should be investigated, but on paper it doesn't stack up," Mr Key says.

In November last year Enterprise North Shore chairman Ian Watson said a commercial airport at Whenuapai would benefit the local economy.

"Airports are major generators of economic growth from which economic development radiates. You only have to look at how the business district around Auckland International Airport has flourished to get some idea of the enormous benefits a commercial airport on our back doorstep would bring to the North Shore economy," Mr Watson said.

Mr Key's electorate takes in Greenhithe, which is on the projected flight path to the airport.

He says the National Party does not have a party position on the airport and local MPs are free to voice their opinions on the issue.

"Myself and Murray McCully oppose the airport while Wayne Mapp and Lockwood Smith are for it," Mr Key says.

The air force should stay at Whenuapai - at least for the next 20 years - to ensure the asset is not lost to Auckland, he says.

"New Zealand is a country surrounded by sea and the Air Force plays a role in search and rescue and defending our borders from illegal fishing," Mr Key says.

The flight path at Wellington Airport is over water but Whenuapai doesn't have that luxury, he says.

"I've always actively opposed the commercial airport. Since becoming an MP I was exposed to the issue right from the start," Mr Key says.

Mr Key met with the airport opposition lobby group Whenuapai Airport Action Group last Wednesday .

WAAG president Russell Stewart says he's pleased Mr Key does not support the airport but he would like him to voice his opposition on a wider basis.

"If he becomes the Prime Minister than his view is clearly most important," Mr Stewart says

[flyjoe180]

How can they say they didnt realise how noisy it would be? Its not like there hasnt been any jet or turboprop aircraft using Whenuapai for the past god knows how many decades!

[Dave Homewood]

Indeed