Tighter restrictions must be adopted by Auckland City on all new helicopter consents to prevent unacceptable noise levels and potential damage from rotor blade 'propeller wash'.
We also want the Waitematā Local Board to reverse its recent policy change by reinstating its previous policy of making helicopter landing sites in residential zones a 'not permitted' activity.
Environmental Creep Recently, when one of the three approved helipad owners on the Herne Bay waterfront sought a consent change to dramatically increase helicopter landings, an opposing neighbour complained to Auckland Council about what the neighbour termed 'environmental creep' that:
· Prevented them from using their deck and garden when a helicopter came into land, forcing them to hide inside their house.
· The downdraft from the helicopter blew loose material such as leaves and dust right across their property.
Because of the opposition to the Resource Consent to increase landings from four helicopter movements per week to 20 movements per week, this applicant withdrew their Resource Consent application.
Waitematā Local Board
We cannot believe that in March our newly elected local board reversed a long-standing policy of previous local boards recommending helipads be a 'Not Permitted' activity, in other words a banned activity for urban residential areas under the Unitary Plan. One local board member commented that there was no available public helipad on this side of the city, and it was therefore unfair to make users travel across town to Mechanics Bay.
Fortunately, the matter has been taken up by the Auckland Council Planning Committee and opposition from communities all over Auckland will, hopefully, force a review of the Unitary Plan and make helipads 'Not Permitted' unless for rescue or sited in areas well away from housing.
Current Helipad Consents
The current three helicopter consents are (see attached map) for properties on the foreshore at the bottom of Sentinel Road (granted in 2011), in River Terrace (2015) and for a property one the foreshore in Cremorne Street (2015). None of these Resource Consents were publicly notified.
Of interest is that once granted, these Resource Consents last in perpetuity. Also, consents go with a property on its sale. This happened when John Dunn, who owned a small helicopter he flew himself, sold his property at 64 Sentinel Road to property developer Ben Cook who since then uses larger commercial helicopters for his outings.
While only one of these three helipad sites is currently well used, this could change at any time. We know there is an application pending for a helipad to be sited on the Westmere waterfront and another rumoured in Herne Bay’s Marine Parade.
Conditions We Would Like For Helipad Consents
For our association, the issue of helicopters creates more mail and more comment that any other issue. So, we feel it’s important to speak up about which residents are concerned and propose the following conditions for consents:
· As over time helicopter types and dimensions change, we want an on-site acoustic test to set a measurable benchmark for the future management of any consent. This will permit noise comparison as new helicopter models are used.
· The maximum number of daily and weekly flights (a flight is one take-off and one landing) are specified. Flight movements must comply with Auckland Unitary Plan, or Morning Civil Twilight or Evening Civil Twilight rules whichever are more restrictive.
· Flight paths must be adhered to and the consent holder must always use the transponder on take-offs and landings that records the flight path taken (that must be over the harbour). If a permitted flight path can’t be used, then the flight must be abandoned.
· There must be restrictions on flight idle time, maintenance of flight log books, and Auckland Council must commit to verification of compliance to the consent conditions on a regular basis. These verifications must be at the expense of the consent holder.
· Landing/take-off rotor pressure test to record maximum permitted pressure for future compliance of new helicopter models.
· If required by Auckland Council, the consent holder must install appropriate assessment telemetry capable of registering (recording) every helicopter movement.
These new conditions for consents can be contained as statutory in the 2026 Unitary Plan revisions.
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Published: August 2023
#ponsonbynews #iloveponsonby #ponsonby #auckland #aucklandshippestrip #onlyponsonby #ponsonbyroad #Greylynn #freemansbay #westmere #ponsonby #hernebay #stmarysbay #archhill #coxsbay
Published: August 2023