Pilots snub Ashburton Airport after fee hike
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Pilots are opting for paddocks over Ashburton Airport after the council made it one of the "most expensive small provincial airfields" to train and fly at, users say.
The Ashburton District Council, which owns the recreational, grass-runway airport, hiked and changed the fees for pilots in a bid to increase profits.
It was part of a 30-year plan to reduce the burden on ratepayers having to subsidise the airfield.
However, the council has been told it has had the opposite effect, with a drop in planes using the airport since the fees were introduced at the start of the 2023-24 financial year.
Several submitters to the long-term plan said the airport lost 1700 aircraft movements in the last year because of the higher fees and reputational damage.
Pilot Michael Oakley said bad management decisions and poor communication from the council had caused the marked reduction in landings, and something needed to change before it’s too late.
“The decisions that are being made by this council are being talked about all over New Zealand and it is having a rippling effect across airfield users.”
Another submitter, Michael Thomas, described a “toxic situation” developing at the airport and suggested the management of the airfield be taken over by a user-group committee – like the boards that run some of the district’s halls and reserves.
“There are empty hangers in Ashburton right now because people are going.”
Pilots were landing in private strips in paddocks instead, he said.
Submitter Neville Bailey said that last year the fees were raised significantly, the bulk annual landing fee was abolished, and a touch-and-go fee was introduced.
The changes made Ashburton "one of the most expensive small provincial airfields to train and fly at in New Zealand”.
The result had been a significant drop off in landings and the fee structure needed to be reassessed, he said.
Mid Canterbury Aero Club Graham Closey said the council inadvertently decreased the revenue from aircraft and is concerned the proposed changes would make things worse.
“It needs to be fair for everybody and reasonable because there is only a certain price point you can go to before people start turning their nose up.”
Club secretary and treasurer David Wright argued the community benefit from the airfield made it “reasonable to ask the community to contribute”.
Ashburton Aviation Museum’s Owen Moore did not want the museum based at the airport to be seen as a cash cow.
The museum was concerned the council’s pursuit of making the airport operate at no cost to the ratepayers “could see the museum as a cash cow and up the rent and rates to levels that make the museum unsustainable”.
Their storage hangar was facing a rental increase of 75%, he said.
As one of the premier tourist attractions in the district and in recognition of what they do for the community, Moore wants acceptable rates locked into the long-term plan to provide certainty.
Business support group manager Leanne Macdonald said the council “don’t feel it is a toxic environment”.
“Our aim has always been to balance the needs of a small user group against the amount of general rates required to top up and operate the airport.
“We all want a vibrant airport that can grow in an orderly way, without relying too much on ratepayers.”
The council will address the claims made in the hearings and any changes to the fee structure during its long-term plan deliberations this week.
Dark sky nation: Tourism minister backs move to attract stargazing travellers
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Transforming Aotearoa into a dark sky nation could attract stargazing international tourists, creating huge economic benefits, Tourism Minister Matt Doocey says.
The Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand believes New Zealand could become a dark sky nation, an idea Doocey says he supports.
To become a dark sky nation the country would need to cut light pollution, such as outdoor lighting, to allow for greater stargazing and astronomy.
Tourism New Zealand research indicated more than 70% of people thinking about visiting New Zealand were interested in stargazing, he said.
The best times for stargazing were during the off-peak and shoulder seasons for tourism, which meant protecting New Zealand’s night skies could provide an economic boost when tourist towns were otherwise quiet.
"It is something I am keen to encourage," Doocey said.
‘‘We want to grow tourism because we know it brings jobs to rural New Zealand.
‘‘Tourism is very seasonal, so we need to be looking at how we can market and promote New Zealand during those shoulder and off-peak periods.’’
The Waimakariri MP said an economic impact report commissioned by Enterprise North Canterbury last year showed a dark sky trail would provide an economic boost in the region.
The report said a dark sky reserve could generate $4.6 million of visitor spending in Waimakariri and create up to 24 jobs.
The Oxford Dark Sky Group obtained dark sky park status in January for the Oxford Forest Conservation Area from the Dark Sky International.
Oxford Dark Sky president Raul Elias-Drago said there was no cost to the group, thanks to support from the community, the Waimakariri District Council, Oxford-Ohoka Community Board and Government agencies such as the Department of Conservation.
The group was now planning to apply for dark sky reserve status, which would incorporate the town of Oxford.
Doocey said the Oxford example showed how communities coming together could achieve economic benefits at little cost.
Enterprise North Canterbury has been working with other regional tourism organisations (RTOs) to develop a Canterbury dark sky trail.
The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve was established in 2012, while the Kaikōura Dark Sky Trust is about to apply for dark sky sanctuary status and interest is growing in other Canterbury communities.
‘‘I would encourage RTOs to think about whether dark skies should be part of their destination management plans,’’ Doocey said.
‘‘There is real potential for a ground up approach and I would be really supportive of that.’’
Elias-Drago, who is also the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand (RASNZ) secretary, said a national approach was needed, perhaps led by the Department of Conservation.
‘‘The Department of Conservation has been very supportive regionally,’’ he said.
‘‘The Rangiora office supported our application and other regional offices have supported other applications, but every time each regional office is doing the same thing.
‘‘If the work was done nationally, we wouldn’t have to replicate the work in every region.’’
Doocey has accepted an invitation to speak at the New Zealand Starlight Conference in Tekapo in October, which is organised by RASNZ and the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve board.
‘‘We are hoping to use the conference as a springboard to advance the discussion around becoming a dark sky nation,’’ Elias-Drago said.
Niue became the world’s first whole country to become an International dark sky nation in 2020.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NBLY Conversations: What is the etiquette for bin day?
We think there are unspoken rules for bin day, but are we adhering to the same ones?
Do you think twice about dragging your bin to the pavement in the early hours? Do you mind if neighbours put excess rubbish in your bin? Share your bin day etiquette and let's compare notes!
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
Four 65” Panasonic 4K TVs up for grabs worth $3,999 each
This winter, we are celebrating the 2024 Olympics with our TV Guide readers with a chance to win 1 of 4 65” Panasonic 4K TVs worth $3,999 each.
Pick up a copy of the TV Guide each week starting from the June 1 - 7 issue, find the codeword, and follow the directions to be in to win! We’ve put a codeword in each of the following three issues, so find them all for more chances to win. You’ll have until July 3 to enter online or mail in your codeword. T&Cs apply.
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