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The development of West Melton may be restricted as Christchurch Airport proposes moving its air noise contour to the township.
Development of rural land to residential in the 50-decibel outer noise contour is heavily curtailed, due to the risk of residents complaining about the noise of aircraft taking off andlanding at the airport.
It comes as a 220-home section of a proposed subdivision at Rolleston has been recommended by a hearing commissioner to be declined, as it is in the current 50 dB air noise contour.
The airport is in the process of reviewing this contour, and it may move from Rolleston to West Melton.
Map of proposed 50dB (green line) and 55dB (blue line) air noise contour, which encompasses some of West Melton. Photo / Supplied
Because of this, developers of a proposed 130-home subdivision at West Melton face the threat of having to shelve their plans.
Hughes Development Ltd has applied to Selwyn District Council to rezone 20ha bounded by Halkett Rd and West Coast Rd to enable the subdivision.
The company's application for rezoning the site, Plan Change 74, will soon go to a hearing after 73 submissions were received, including one from Christchurch International Airport Ltd.
While the updated noise contour is yet to be finalised and released for public consultation, the airport said in its submission that the updated draft contour included some of West Melton.
"It would be inappropriate to alter the proposed rural zoning of the site to a residential zoning when there is clear evidence that this land may fall within updated noise contours."
Hughes Developments Ltd director Jake Hughes did not want to comment.
The updated contour airport is now being reviewed by a panel of international experts as the airport works with review leader Environment Canterbury. Once the review process is complete, ECan will consult with the public on the updated contours.
Christchurch Airport environment and planning manager Felicity Hayman said the review was important to see if the current contours, set 10 years ago, were still fit for purpose. The airport had changed the way it operated since then.
"For example, the introduction of performance-based navigation in 2018 slightly altered flight paths to direct planes over rural instead of urban areas," Hayman said.
Meanwhile, the district council will make a decision today on whether to accept hearing commissioner David Caldwell's recommendation to approve Plan Change 71, but not allow deferred zoning of a 220-home section of it, due to the air noise contour in the area.
The PC71 rezoning plan change application was from Four Stars Development Ltd and Gould Developments Ltd, for altogether about 660 homes on about 53ha at Rolleston, bounded by Levi Rd, Lincoln Rolleston Rd and Nobeline Drive.
