Noise rules in the proposed Te Tai o Poutini Plan for the West Coast will be beefed up, and will include monitoring the Franz Josef Heliport.
Franz Josef township. The town's heliport is within 100m to the right of the street as pictured. Photo:
Principal planner Lois Easton told the Te Tai o Poutini Plan Committee on Tuesday the NZ Transport Agency and regional public health office had both sought significant changes to noise rules proposed in the plan.
"Their feeling is ... that the plan doesn't adequately protect the general public from the adverse effects of noise," she said.
Quite a few amendments were now proposed, though planners were trying to ensure the end result was not unduly restrictive.
Easton said health unit staff wanted the frequency of noise monitoring at the Westland District Council-owned Franz Josef Heliport to be annually or biennially.
"They also sought that noise monitoring should be undertaken if there is a significant change in aircraft types or numbers," her report said.
The noise data for the Franz Josef heliport was based on the busiest time of 2017.
"Current helicopter movements are a small fraction of this, and are not expected to increase quickly.
"It seems unreasonable to place additional noise monitoring requirements on the heliport, unless usage has recovered and the first five yearly monitoring record identifies any issues."
Westland District Council chief executive Simon Bastion raised concerns about Franz: "My worry is it's quite subjective based on the planner".
However, Easton said limits were based on noise measurements.
Iwi representative Paul Madgwick said it was a missed opportunity for the Franz Josef heliport to be moved to another site.
"I know some businesses in Franz Josef are precious about having a heliport on the doorstep but there are other businesses that don't agree."
Scenic Circle Hotels had advocated for the heliport to be moved.
Madgwick said the current heliport location was "unique" with people able to "walk out the front door and hop on a helicopter", but the TTPP was supposed to be a long-term plan.
"It's incongruous with where the Department of Conservation is heading with the review of the Conservation Management Strategy which governs everything on the DOC estate, and the Westland National Park Plan which governs everything around Franz Josef."
Madgwick said the thrust of the latter was "to reduce flights and the frequency of flights", but the proposed noise provisions appeared not to account for that "at all".
Easton said they had looked to the Westland District Council planners for direction, specifically around the heliport location.
The general thrust of planning was to push development further from the Alpine Fault, which should result in development away from the current heliport.
"It has a double benefit, that future development is less affected."
The three current West Coast district plans have fairly low key noise provisions.
The planners received 12 pieces of "quite technical" feedback, which included issues around providing for health and well-being of people and communities in relation to noise, and specific requirements in the port, airport and general rural zones.
Easton's report said noise was often identified "as an annoyance".
The noise provisions would sit alongside the existing noise bylaws, if any, of the three districts.
Grey district councillor Anton Becker wanted to know if the noise provisions would allow a possible increase in aircraft size in the future in Greymouth, which services the town's hospital.
Easton said more information had just come in from the acoustic noise specialist commissioned to assist the plan.
The update would apply particularly to Greymouth and Hokitika airports with updated maps of the areas affected by noise.
"They have allowed for the expansion of those airports ... This is something we think is prudent to allow for because airports are such a critical lifeline and economic tool on the West Coast."
* Disclosure: Te Runanga o Makaawhio chairman Paul Madgwick is also the editor of the Greymouth Star. He took no part in the commissioning, writing or editing of this LDR story.
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