[ad_1]
Christchurch International Airport Ltd, of which the Christchurch City Council is the majority shareholder, plans to build an airport in the small agricultural settlement of Tarras.
Boult sent Dalziel a letter expressing his disappointment with the plan and asking Dalziel for his opinion on the matter.
Dalziel responded to the letter last Wednesday.
Boult told The Star that the content of Dalziel’s response required legal advice.
“I can’t say any more,” he said.
Dalziel said it was not appropriate for her to comment on Boult seeking legal advice and did not dispute the content of her response to Boult’s letter.
In a letter to Queenstown Airport Board Chair Adrienne Young-Cooper, Boult called the plan for Christchurch International Airport Ltd a “predatory activity” designed to attack the value of Queenstown Airport, of which the council district is majority shareholder.
He also said that the proposed new airport was an “unwanted intrusion into our district.”
Boult, who was CEO of Christchurch International Airport Ltd from 2009 to 2013, said it was “quite surprising” to learn of the Christchurch airport plans about an hour before they were publicly announced in July.
“The biggest surprise, however, is that a subsidiary owned 75 percent by another city council would choose to compete with another subsidiary owned 75 percent by our city council.
“I’m not sure that the territorial authorities have that as one of their things to do; compete with each other in a business sense.
“Indeed, that is what is happening here.”
Christchurch International Airport Ltd has so far spent $ 45 million to purchase 750ha of agricultural land that will be used to house the planned airport.
The plan has not been without opposition from the community.
Sustainable Tarras has argued that the airport will bring air, noise and light pollution to the district. Representatives of the group voiced their opposition to the plan to city councilors during today’s finance and performance committee meeting.
Along with them were representatives of Extinction Rebellion who also opposed.
