Issue #916

by Scott Stevens

How about that big dividend from the airport? On first read of the Queenstown Airport Corporation’s (QAC) press release I noted that $11.66 million works out to $390 per ratepayer. “The Queenstown Lakes District Council holds 75.01% of QAC shares, so its portion of the annual dividend is $11.66 million, which equates to nearly $390 per ratepayer.” I can’t wait to see the credit note on my 2023/24 rates invoice. How exciting.

Yeah right and pigs fly. If memory services me correctly, it was about the same amount per ratepayer we must fork out each year to cover that leaky-building disaster zone Ross Wensley. So, no credit on our rates will be forthcoming, that much is guaranteed. Regardless, QLDC must be over the moon. And so they should be. It’s been a lean few years in the world of aviation and the financial success of our airport only tells half the story.

As a gateway to the district economy, the numbers in that rosy press release shows how we are all roaring back to life post-covid. Just how much value the airport brings to the district is multiplied out by every dollar everyone on those 17,714 aircraft movements, carrying residents, domestic and international visitors, spent in our shops, restaurants, Airbnbs and hotels. That 1900-metre-long stretch of tarmac is literally the lifeblood of the basin and it is incredibly important QLDC keeps control of it.

Not only for the benefit of those dividends but also to keep a leash on the beast that is the very big business that owns the other 24.99%. Auckland Airport. It only takes a muppet rogue council like the one that sold the 24.99% in the first place, or the one currently run by Kermit the Frog in Auckland, to sell sell sell and if that happens, wave goodbye to any sort of community control we thought we might have had over Queenstown Airport’s growth plans.

There are a lot of nice words getting thrown around on how we would like to reshape our tourism industry post-covid. Quality over quantity and regenerative tourism are a couple of goals on our wish list. Here are a few more from Queenstown Airport’s press release - decarbonisation roadmap, resilience, sustainability strategy, net carbon zero.

News flash, it’s bums on seats and we are already back to 2019 levels. Look out, and for the sake of our quality of life, get QLDC maintaining a controlling share percentage enshrined in legislation somewhere. It might not be to everyone’s liking but the fact is the airport is the centre of the basin. QLDC control it. We control QLDC via elected councillors. It’s as good a deal as we are ever going to get. Don’t let any muppets in the future flick off any more of it.