New rules now apply
Council updated the Hauraki Gulf Islands District Plan yesterday, to give effect to National Planning Standard 15 (NPS15). Now helicopter noise will be averaged over one day instead of over three days. Council has posted the notice in the usual place. In the implementation report the planners explained the reason for the change: The early implementation of NPS15 in the…
Keep reading
A new Civil Aviation Act
On 5 April, the Civil Aviation Act 2023 became law. After a lot of work by Quiet Sky Waiheke, the Waiheke Local Board, and Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick, along with contributions from the Great Barrier Local Board, previous ward councillor Pippa Coom, and MP Helen White, a one-word change was achieved! The word including was added. Because of this…
Keep reading
Are council delaying to let this consent through?
***This post was updated on 24/4/23 – see end of post*** It’s now two weeks since council’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committee voted to give effect to National Planning Standard 15, which will mean that helipad applications will have tougher noise limits to achieve restricted discretionary (RD) status. Under the RD rules, council does not allow itself to consider any…
Keep reading
Halfway there
The Waiheke community can celebrate today, after the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee voted to stop averaging helicopter noise over three days and instead to average it over one day. We’ve been advocating for council to apply this change (which was mandated by National Planning Standard 15, 2019) since last May, and they have finally agreed to do it. It…
Keep reading
The NZCPS is for the birds
A landowner in Church Bay, Waiheke Island, got some welcome news on Friday afternoon, when their helipad consent application was granted. They may have celebrated. They were probably not surprised; thirteen of their immediate and nearby neighbours already have one. The authors of the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement might have been surprised, however. The flightpath goes very low (and…
Keep reading
Three-part Newsroom series
Newsroom recently published a three-part series penned by Nikki Mandow. We suggest you click through and read them all, as they really tell a story, however we have extracted some key elements (and added a couple of comments about safety to article two and a comment about council action to article three): Article One: “Helipad fight: 2023 will be crucial,…
Keep reading
Cordis Hotel demonstrates sustainability credentials
We are delighted to announce that the Cordis Hotel in downtown Auckland has responded in an exemplary manner to an enquiry from a Waiheke resident about their promotion of a package which included helicopter flights to Waiheke. The resident noted that they had been staying at the hotel and enjoying the service and convenient location, but commented that the promotion…
Keep readingMaybe not a plan change… Really Megan?
Helipad consenting was raised by Cr Mike Lee at today’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committee. A response was provided by Auckland Council Chief of Strategy Megan Tyler (who also wrote this opinion piece in July). Video of the item can be found here (starting at 6:05). Megan promised to send out a memo to update the Local Boards and stated…
Keep readingCivil Aviation Bill (2nd Reading)
The Civil Aviation Bill is having its second reading in Parliament at the moment. There have been ten speakers so far, with videos of their speeches here. Much of what was discussed is not of direct relevance to the Quiet Sky Waiheke campaign, however, there have been some speeches of direct relevance, which are described below: Chlöe Swarbrick of the…
Keep readingCelebrating withdrawal of helipad application
For our friends at Quiet Sky Waitematā, who are celebrating the withdrawal of the Westmere (Cremorne Street) helipad application, we recommend something from Obsidian winery, whose new owners chose to put their neighbours and the community first when they withdrew a helipad application earlier this year.
Keep readingEasier submission in support of SOPs
In our previous post we asked you to please write a brief email to the Minister responsible for aviation, Kieran McAnulty (with copies to Chlöe Swarbrick and Helen White) in support of Chlöe Swarbrick’s proposed amendment to the Civil Aviation Bill. If you received one of the previous posts by email, please note that one of the links had a typo,…
Keep readingQuiet Sky Waiheke needs your help!
Over the last 18 months we have followed a number of strategies at a local and national level, one of which was making a submission on the new Civil Aviation Bill which is currently going through parliament. Partly as a result of our efforts, the following clause has been inserted into the Bill: Clause 58. Rules for noise abatement purposes The Minister may make…
Keep readingPetition by Quiet Sky Waitematā
Our friends at Quiet Sky Waitematā have an active Facebook page which catalogues their campaign against private helicopter use in residential Auckland. They also have an active petition which calls for Auckland Council to heavily regulate helicopter activity in Waitematā. If you decide to add your name to the petition, please note that any money you donate to Change.org will…
Keep readingIncluding Helicopters in the TERP
The Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway (TERP) has been adopted by Auckland Council and it’s a good plan. It’s also relevant to Quiet Sky Waiheke. (Transport Emissions Reduction Plan Final for Adoption) Aviation is a highly carbon intensive mode of transport, and cities around the world have been formulating strategies to reduce the emissions generated by aviation, while noting that most…
Keep readingHerne Bay Application Publicly-notified
We have received a request from Quiet Sky Waitemata to publicise that submissions may be made on the following publicly-notified helicopter application. Paula and Simon Herbert of 15 Cremorne St, Herne Bay have applied to double the number of daily flights allowed under their consent. Anyone in New Zealand can make a submission on their application. Time unfortunately is short…
Keep readingProgress!
We are pleased to announce that here has been steady progress towards regulating helicopters over Waiheke Island over the last few months – the fruit of a sustained campaign by Quiet Sky Waiheke, solid work by the Waiheke Local Board, Councillor Pippa Coom, and MP Chlöe Swarbrick, and significant media coverage, both locally and nationally. Our website is a trove…
Keep readingFinally Getting Serious!
On 3 May, the Planning Committee again discussed helicopters: They passed the following resolutions: Quiet Sky Waiheke noted a distinct change in the Council dialogue compared to previous meetings. There were significant contributions to the meeting from Local Councillor Pippa Coom, Committee Chair Chris Darby, and Mayor Phil Goff. We very much welcome that the issue is now being taken…
Keep readingWhen will we see some action?
Helicopter consent issues were supposed to have been addressed by Auckland Council in 2019, back when only twenty helipads had been consented on Waiheke. Here’s how it was reported in the NZ Herald. “[Planning Committee Chairman Chris] Darby said a practice note/interpretation guidance to consent planners was now being developed and will be in place “very quickly”. He believed the…
Keep readingA media frenzy & updates on 48 Korora Road
It’s been a very busy few weeks for Quiet Sky Waiheke which began with a submission to the parliamentary select committee on the Civil Aviation Bill. See the Latest Updates on our website if you missed it. Various media outlets picked up on our submission, which resulted in a Newshub interview on the 5th March featuring Quiet Sky spokesperson Kim…
Keep reading“Our airspace is not uncontrolled – it’s out of control”
Cath Handley, Local Board Chair, Waiheke Island. Kim Whitaker of Quiet Sky Waiheke joined Local Board Chair Cath Handley & Local Board member Robin Tucker at the Transport & Infrastructure Committee last Friday 11th February to put across their views on the proposed Civil Aviation Bill. In fifteen minutes the Waiheke contingent outlined the key issues which included: Quiet Sky’s…
Keep readingWoohoo!
In what really is very exciting news for Waiheke residents, the new owners of Obsidian Vineyard have withdrawn the existing application for a helipad at Te Makiri Road. May this be the first of many such successes 🙂 We encourage you to toast the new owners’ insightful decision by visiting their wine cellar at Te Makiri Road. May we recommend…
Keep readingCouncil responds … after 5 months
Niwa has just confirmed that 2021 was New Zealand’s hottest year on record, Mayor Goff has just admitted that Council “… are not doing enough” to reduce emissions, and the people of Waiheke Island, and the Waitemata Local Board are openly dismayed about the proliferation of helicopter transport within the region. So what then was Council’s response to Waiheke Local…
Keep readingBig news on past and current helipad applications:
Are they non-complying and improperly-consented? Firstly, an update: Your many protests and objections have been effective in persuading Auckland planning to send Obsidian’s application back for more information. Quiet Sky Waiheke have strongly challenged the way that Auckland has awarded helipad applications in the past, pointing out three different provisions in the District Plan that should require applications to be…
Keep readingHow safe is the helicopter sector?
As a layperson, it is difficult to assess this, however it is concerning that so many flights are not compliant with the aviation rules and that the CAA was not involved in consenting the 48 helipads already existing on Waiheke. The CAA has made its own assessment of the helicopter sector and thinks that it presents an unacceptable risk to…
Keep readingGodwits!
Welcome back Bar-Tailed Godwits to Blackpool Beach! This year, we’re being quiet for you. Ever wonder whether a profusion of helicopters might be a problem for birds? Have you seen and heard more birds since the lockdown? You wouldn’t be alone. When so many people are expending so much effort on planting trees, trapping exotic predators, and saving endangered species,…
Keep readingThe democratic process is working
The democratic process really works, but you have to be involved! In response to all of your emails, Cr Pippa Coom has been interested in the issues of helicopter traffic over Waiheke and has created a Waiheke Quiet Sky tag for posts on her blog. So far one post has appeared, referring to her attendance at the Waiheke Local Board…
Keep readingCAA review of existing helipads
A review process has been started, at our urging, by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) who are contacting all 48 helipads on Waiheke to find out which of them should have submitted a “Part 157” notification. This notification is required if more than 7 flights are ever conducted in any 30 day period. The Part 157 notification triggers a review…
Keep readingAuckland Council to review existing helipads
One of the most promising responses to the Local Board’s resolution has been quick agreement by the Council planning staff to review all of the 48 existing helipads to determine whether (1) the helipad consents have lapsed due to lack of use or (2) the consent conditions can be reopened for review and possible modification. We know that many, if…
Keep readingSpecial Use Airspace application
Quiet Sky Waiheke applied to CAA on 3 August for creation of a “Special Use Airspace” over the Island, with specific rules that would control non-essential helicopter flights. We are asking CAA to require compliance with the guidelines set out in the helicopter industry’s own “Fly Neighbourly Guide” such as staying over water rather than overflying land, sticking to consented…
Keep readingLocal Board meeting a success
To the applause of an overflow audience of 52 people, the Waiheke Local Board unanimously voted for a resolution on the 21st July, asking for a change in the approval standards for helipads, review of existing helipad consents, requirement for public-accessible tracking of helicopter flights, and a Special Use Airspace over Waiheke to impose rules to reduce helicopter noise and…
Keep readingPlease sign our petition!
Go to http://change.org/helicopters to support taking action about helicopter traffic on Waiheke Island. We need as many signatures as possible, so that the Ministry of Transport and Auckland Council can hear our voices above the helicopter noise. Please forward to your friends, family and neighbours so that they too have a chance to be heard. Let’s reclaim our Quiet Skies!
Keep readingPut it in your calendar: Waiheke Local Board meeting, Wednesday 21st July
Come and give your support to the Local Board so they can take the strongest stance on the helicopter issue. 5:15pm, Wednesday 21st July, Waiheke Service Centre, Belgium Street (opposite Countdown)
Keep readingGet our latest updates delivered directly to your inbox.
Quiet Sky Waiheke info@quietskywaiheke.nz
Quiet Sky Waiheke 