Multimillionaire couple's helipad approved despite uproar

Otago Daily Times

7 hours ago

By Jessica Hopkins of RNZ
Despite uproar from the community, multimillionaire Auckland couple entrepreneur Anna Mowbray and former All Black Ali Williams will be allowed a helicopter pad at their Auckland property.
After weeks of deliberation, three independent hearing commissioners appointed by Auckland Council have approved the couple's controversial resource consent application - with some concessions.
The commissioners' decision, released today, stated flights would be limited to no more than two per day and 10 per month.
"The use of a helicopter for property access in the Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP) residential zones is a permitted activity, being an activity that is inherently associated with residential land use, provided it can comply with any applicable standards.
"We find that the noise effects that would be generated by helicopter take-offs and landings would not be unreasonable and would not diminish the amenity values of this residential zone to any material degree.
"In particular, disturbance to sleep during normal sleeping hours will be avoided and the hours of operation and number of flights are limited: the estimated period of audibility of helicopter noise by neighbours would be around 3 minutes and 20 seconds per flight or 33 minutes per month (assuming 10 flights were conducted)."
According to Auckland Council, out of 1397 written submissions made on the application, a majority - 1227, or 87 percent - opposed the helipad on Rawene Avenue.
One-hundred and eight were supportive, and 12 were neutral.
During a five-day public hearing at Auckland Town Hall in May, the panel commissioners heard expert evidence from the couple's legal counsel and the group Quiet Sky Waitematā as well as submissions from members of the public, including several direct neighbours, opposing and supporting the application.
In their decision, the panel dismissed residents' frustrations with privately operated helicopters coming and going from the nearby suburb of Herne Bay.
The panel was satisfied the couple restricting flights to daylight hours and sticking to a specified flight path avoiding residential areas would mean minimal disturbance.
"We find that there is nothing untoward, unacceptable, or significantly out-of-character with helicopter noise in an urban residential environment.
"What is more important in any proposal to undertake helicopter landings and take-offs in that environment is the extent/volume of that noise."
The couple would also be required to get an Avifauna Monitoring Plan from a council-approved ornithologist to monitor disruption to the Meola Reef and nearby bird roost.
During the hearing, the couple's legal counsel Chris Simmons said they agreed to concessions to reduce adverse impacts on neighbours and wildlife.
He said opposers' submissions could be "confused, overstated, misleading, and potentially irrelevant" to the panel.
In a social media post, Quiet Sky Waitematā said the panel's decision was not the outcome they were hoping for.
"It sets a worrying precedent for future applications around Auckland.
"We're still digesting the decision that was released this morning but safe to say given the huge number of submissions against this application it won't be a popular one."
Reuben Jackson from the Hawke Sea Scouts told RNZ he was disappointed by the decision and their concerns had been ignored.
He earlier told the panel their primary school-aged scouts based at Coxs Bay, about 300 metres from the proposed helipad, would no longer be able to do activities there around low tide if a helicopter could land nearby.
"The consent has a lot of information for us to digest. At first glance, the council have done nothing to address the safety of youth who might be walking along the coast during a landing," he said.