CHC airport CEO refuses to answer questions about Tarras

Christchurch Airport CEO, Malcolm Johns, has flatly refused to answer a set of reasonable questions put to him about Tarras by Stop Central Otago Airport. Johns, paid an annual salary of $896,000 to preside over the airport company owned 75% by Christchurch City Council, and 25% the Government, has instead referred the group back to […]

CHC airport applies to ORC to lower environmental hurdles for new airport

It came to our attention earlier this month that Christchurch Airport had lodged a submission with the Otago Regional Council to make significant changes to ORC policy documents, largely to water down environmental protections, allow for biodiversity loss and more easily facilitate a major industrial development at Tarras. The wording was carefully chosen and submitted […]

ODT: Christchurch Airport’s “reprehensible and Greedy proposal” is “like a horror movie”

Since Christchurch Airport published their recent runway options report, media coverage has reflected significant concern from people around Central Otago, and indeed New Zealand. They tend to echoes our concerns. Today’s Editorial in the Otago Daily Times summed up what many of us are thinking. This is very well written, and most definitely worth a […]

Runway report: our initial response to media

We’ve received plenty of media interview requests recently. But when the Wānaka App sent us some written questions today, we decided to answer with as much detail as possible. We thought we should share these with members of Stop Central Otago Airport. Our answers are below, for your information, with some small additions for clarity. […]

Christchurch Airport releases runway options

On 24 September 2021, exactly 15 months after news of the new airport was broken by local journalist Peter Newport of Crux, Christchurch Airport finally released some slightly more detailed information. The “Preliminary Aeronautical Assessment”, a carefully produced 41 page brochure-style document, laid out some key “initial” findings. In our view, they’re not good for […]

Say NO to a new international airport

You may have heard about plans for a new international airport in Tarras, Central Otago. It’s being planned despite strong community opposition, no true need for it and massive concerns about the environment and the future of several local communities it will impact. The planned airport is being pushed ahead by Christchurch Airport, who secretly […]