Nelson Airport Runway Extension

On June 10th, Nelson City Council announced a Private Plan Change request (“PPC30”) from Nelson Airport Ltd. While growth and development are essential for our region, the proposed changes could significantly impact the Tāhuna Beach Holiday Park and its future.

We believe there’s room for alternatives, such as expanding southwards rather than northwards, affecting fewer people. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that both the airport and the holiday park can continue to co-exist and contribute positively to our region.

The board has decided to oppose this application and has enlisted legal, planning, and noise experts to prepare a submission on behalf of the association. However, your support is also vital. The more submissions we have, the stronger our case will be.

If you cherish Tāhuna Beach, its sprawling recreational areas, and the Holiday Park, we urge you to submit. You don’t have to be a resident of the region to participate.

The full proposal can be found here: Nelson Airport Runway Extension Supporting Documents | Nelson Airport Runway Extension | Shape Nelson.

Please note the deadline to object is July 10th. 

The submission form asks what you are objecting to.  Advice to date has been to state objecting to the changes ‘in their entirety’.  However, the form does require specific reasons for objecting despite the early stage of the submission process.  As suggestions, you might object to the the runway being extended north instead of south, the increased noise/more frequent flights over a populated area, or, in fact, the fact that it has been unreasonable to expect people to go through a 154-page proposal, analyse and respond in detail in just 30 days.   Unfortunately, additional points cannot be added later to the issues stated now.

Submissions can be made online at Shape Nelson or in paper using the attached document.

We’re disappointed with the short notice given by Nelson City Council and the limited community engagement from Nelson Airport. The complexity of the supporting materials for the PPC30 application makes it difficult to understand fully, and new issues may yet arise.

In summary, these proposed changes could limit our ability to develop the Holiday Park, restrict areas for visitors, increase noise levels, and ultimately diminish everyone’s experience at the Holiday Park. This could adversely affect the Park’s long-term financial viability.

We thank you for your ongoing support and encourage you to make your voice heard.