A Northern Rescue Helicopter lifts off from its new Northland base at Whangārei Airport at Onerahi Photo / Sarah Curtis
Whangārei Airport is boosting its sound control measures following a local watchdog’s successful Environment Court bid.
Community group Environment, Community, Health Onerahi (Echo) took its case to the Environment Court after emergency rescue helicopter flights moved to Whangārei Airport.
Echo member Carole Doherty said the group was pleased that November’s Environment Court decision resulted in significantly strengthened airport noise controls.
Echo applied to the court for a decision around aspects of Resource Management Act (RMA) planning governing noise production controls at the airport.
Doherty said she was pleased the original noise protections for the community had been restored.
Independent noise monitoring would also be provided by Whangārei District Council (WDC) within six months to confirm the accuracy of its modelling to calculate noise levels.
Northern Rescue Helicopter Limited (NRHL) moved its emergency rescue flights from its council-leased Kensington Park site to the airport at Onerahi in July.
Echo wanted the court to make a decision on the range of helicopter activities exempted under noise rules and whether the council had acted correctly in altering what could be exempt.
Environment Court Judge Jeff Smith said the airport was the appropriate rescue helicopter venue, for at least the next 10 years.
But Judge Smith said there had been a lack of precision from the council in airport noise measurement and the impacts, if any, of adding NRHL’s operations into what was exempt from noise production limits.
The council’s airport rules originally said emergency rescue flight take-offs and landings were the only aspect of the NRHL helicopter operations exempt from noise production limits.
Doherty said this changed in 2016 when the council expanded that exemption to add in other aspects of helicopter operations.
Judge Smith said it could not be argued those changes were minor.
Environment Court investigations revealed the council had for some time incorrectly factored in only take-offs and landings, he said.
All non-emergency flights operated by NRHL and its airport support work will now be included in noise compliance monitoring – including maintenance work, training flights and promotional activities.
The council’s commercial aircraft flight noise production monitoring at the airport was also dealt with by Judge Smith.
Under the airport’s formal designation and Whangārei’s District Plan, the airport should have monitored noise from aircraft taxiing, start-up and shut-down noise.
This meant that noise from Q300 aircraft, and any other aircraft approaching the apron at the arrival and departure terminal, had not been included.
They will now also be monitored.
The airport’s inner airport noise boundary zone – which has higher noise allowance – has been expanded to cover the area where these happen, and NRHL’s new airport helicopter base.
Doherty said new monitoring rules and boundaries would significantly strengthen the airport’s noise controls.
New ground-truthing noise monitoring stations are being installed at the airport this month.
The Environment Court has ordered the data results to be provided by May 12.
NRHL CEO Ian MacPherson said the Environment Court had made a ruling requesting the air noise boundaries at the airport be altered to meet the needs of Air New Zealand, Northern Rescue Helicopter and other airport users.
“We are fully compliant, so we are legally operating from Whangārei Airport,” MacPherson said.
WDC general manager planning and developer Dominic Kula said the council welcomed the Environment Court’s decision.
“[It] provides clarity and certainty around not only the airport as the appropriate location for NRHL’s activities, but also the noise management framework for Whangārei Airport,” Kula said.
He said aircraft taxiing had not been included in initial noise compliance monitoring because of limitations to the technology, “as that time the modelling software could not accommodate noise from aircraft taxiing.”
“This is now possible under the software and is considered best practice.”
That was the reason for the exclusions, rather than error or omission.
Kula said the council and Echo had worked together to adjust the inner airport noise boundary to provide for noise generated by all exiting aircraft operations while ensuring appropriate noise controls.
He said the extension provided for noise generated by all existing aircraft operations and airport growth.
“Having gone through extensive legal proceedings, it is hoped that all parties can now look to the future, as suggested by the Environment Court.”
Air New Zealand chief safety and risk officer Nathan McGraw said the company acknowledged the Environment Court decision.
The company had complied fully with the regulatory noise framework as set out by Whangārei Airport and would continue to do so with the changes, he said.
“We will continue to operate within the regulatory framework set out by Whangārei Airport to support safe, efficient and compliant operations.”
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.