Latest news with #AUP
NZ Herald
7 days ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Westmere helipad appeal disappoints rich-listers Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray
Anna Mowbray & Ali Williams' home in Westmere. Photo / Alex Burton 'They have confirmed the grant of consent of helicopter use for residential access is permitted under the Auckland Unitary Plan, subject to strict conditions. 'Our proposal fully complies with all applicable standards and CAA regulations and includes additional voluntary conditions to minimise any impact on the community. 'These voluntary conditions reflect a compromised position following years of meaningful engagement and a genuine effort to balance the needs of our neighbours,' the couple said. They said the appeal is against Auckland Council and not them, saying the cost of the appeal would fall on ratepayers, money that could be better spent on core priorities like infrastructure or community services. 'It's unfortunate to see public resources being required to defend a decision that has already been thoroughly evaluated. We hope QSW will reconsider their position,' the statement said. Quiet Sky secretary Elena Keith told the Herald: 'We don't intend to reconsider our position.' She said yesterday that Quiet Sky disagreed with the June decision of the hearings panel approving private helicopter operations in Westmere. 'Their radical ruling reflects an unanticipated interpretation of the Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP) and goes against overwhelming public sentiment to oppose private helicopters in residential areas,' said Keith. Elena Keith at the hearing for the proposed helipad. She said the legal action was not just for Westmere, but for Auckland. 'If this decision isn't challenged, the floodgates for helicopters in backyards will open. We simply can't let this terrible decision stand.' Keith said the commissioners decided that helicopters were 'inherently residential'. 'Therefore, they say that using a helicopter is a permitted activity, like using a bike or a car. In our opinion, that is absurd.' After six days of public hearings in May, the commissioners concluded that operating a helicopter in residential zones was a 'permitted activity' and inherently associated with residential land use. In their decision, the commissioners dismissed concerns about helicopter noise, including concerns about privately operated helicopters coming and going in nearby Herne Bay. They said there was nothing untoward, unacceptable, or significantly out of character with helicopter noise in an urban residential environment per se. The panel acknowledged numerous submitters would be disappointed with the decision, but said their interpretation of the council's Unitary Plan and legal precedents led to the application's approval. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Anna Mowbray And Ali Williams Approved To Have Helipad At Auckland Home Despite Community Uproar
Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray have gained approval for a helped at their Westmere home. , Auckland reporter Despite uproar from the community, multi-millionaire 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 on Monday 30 June, stated flights would be limited to no more than two per day and ten 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.
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Anna Mowbray And Ali Williams Approved To Have Helipad At Auckland Home Despite Community Uproar
Despite uproar from the community, multi-millionaire 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 on Monday 30 June, stated flights would be limited to no more than two per day and ten 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.
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Anna Mowbray And Ali Williams Approved To Have Helipad At Auckland Home Despite Community Uproar
Despite uproar from the community, multi-millionaire 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 on Monday 30 June, stated flights would be limited to no more than two per day and ten 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.
Otago Daily Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Multimillionaire couple's helipad approved despite uproar
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.
