125 years ‘up in smoke’ if airport plan proceeds

GORDON PREECE and SARA HOLLYMAN

Nelson Golf Club manager Tony Watkins says 125 years of the golf course would “go up in smoke” if the Nelson Airport runway proposal went ahead. Nelson City Council has accepted a private plan change request from the airport which aims to alter existing designations and zoning in the Nelson Resource Management Plan. The changes would provide the necessary planning approvals to support Nelson Airport’s future operations - including the ability to extend the airport’s main existing runway to the north within the next 10 - 15 years.

“Our whole golf course will have to go,” Tony says. “We could reconstruct and make a nine-hole or a 12-hole course, but unfortunately that’s not even possible because of how they’ve currently applied for their application, we don’t have access to any of our land.” He says this is because the rest of the runway goes right through the middle of the course, cutting the club off from the other side of its land.

Stevenson says there will be wider ramifications from the changes that some may not be aware of and is encouraging people to do their research and make a submission before 10 July.

“I think there’s kind of a lot of unsettled feeling and concern in the process,” Jacinda says.

a “profound impact” on Tāhunanui residents.

“A lot of people think a longer runway means it’s going to be an international airport but [the airport] confirmed it’s not going to be.”

She says while a lot of the focus has been on the proposed noise overlay there are other changes people should be aware of.

“No new building will be allowed to be built in that overlay area. If you want to put a granny flat in further down the line, it will be at the airport’s discretion, so it’s going to make a difference on people in that overlay.”

Tony Watkins

At a meeting with members of the Tāhunanui Business and Citizens Association (TBCA) last week, 23 questions were put to the airport team, including some around communication with the local community.

“They felt they had done their side of it, and that’s true, they don’t have to engage with us at all, but they are.”

She says, whilst the TBCA is aware of the regional benefits the airport brings, if implemented, the changes will have

Tony says he is concerned about the future of the club’s 700 members and the wider community.

“I think we’ve got 72 groups currently using the golf club as a place to meet. It’s important to the community that we provide the space for them, if we take the golf club away... it’s affecting the community as well.”

Tony says if the club were to close, the only championship course in the Nelson area would also be lost.

To submit on the proposed changes go to shapenelson. govt.nz before 4pm on 10 July.