Protesters play dead in front of councillors to oppose proposed new airport

Thursday, 3 December 2020

A proposed airport in Central Otago was the target of an Extinction Rebellion protest at the Christchurch City Council. (Video first published in December 2020)

Climate activists pretended to die in front of Christchurch city councillors as they joined Tarras residents to oppose a planned Central Otago airport.

Christchurch Airport announced in July that it had bought land in the small town of Tarras and intended to build an airport there to unlock the nearby Queenstown tourism market.

Christchurch Airport is 75 per cent owned by the city council's holding company, of which some councillors, including the mayor, sit on the board.

Extinction Rebellion protesters play dead at a Christchurch City Council meeting on Thursday.

At the city council's Finance and Performance Committee meeting on Thursday, three groups opposed to the airport questioned why the council-owned airport company was proposing a new airport when the council declared a climate emergency last year.

**READ MORE:

Tarras resident and Sustainable Tarras spokesman Chris Goddard presents to the Christchurch City Council.

* Blindsided Tarras landowners did not know they were selling land for an airport

* No airport for Tarras until Queenstown reaches capacity, airport boss says

* Proposed Tarras airport to be fourth for southern region

Protesters from Extinction Rebellion play dead in the council chamber.

* Christchurch Airport's Central Otago expansion plan new international option

Tarras resident Chris Goddard, representing local community group Sustainable Tarras, said the secrecy over the airport plans was not warranted.

“We’re flying blind, we do not actually know whether it's a $2 billion development or less than $1b – $46 million dollars isn't invested with no view to what the business case is,” he said.

Jelle Bonde, 20, holds a sign saying “Kiwis don't fly” outside the city council on Thursday.

The community was either against the airport entirely or wanted more information, which the airport would not provide.

Christchurch Airport’s Tarras project director Michael Singleton said the company was openly sharing information with the community and would continue to do so as they move through the design phase.

He said climate change played a major role in the company’s decision-making and there would likely be more sustainable aviation options in the 2030s.

“We are in the very early days of a long-term project,” Singleton said.

Goddard also voiced his concern about the emissions of incoming airlines at any new airport.

He said the four councillors who were also on the board of the council’s holding company had a “very powerful role”. They are mayor Lianne Dalziel, Andrew Turner, Sara Templeton and James Gough.

Goddard urged them to take his message to the leadership at Christchurch Airport.

Meanwhile, the council also heard from members of Extinction Rebellion and School Strike 4 Climate, who were concerned about the environmental impact of the proposed airport.

Climate activist Ciara Foley said she was ashamed to live under a council that called climate activists inspiring, but then had indirect involvement with the airport that was “so objectively opposed to our mission”.

“You have the opportunity to right now to do real good in the position of power you have, to stand up and speak out for what's right, even if you don't have the direct power to change it,” she told councillors.

Speaking out would prove the council's belief in climate action, she said.

Councillor Melanie Coker told the climate activists she agreed with their sentiment, and had only found out about the proposed airport when it was publicly announced.

A spokesman for Extinction Rebellion group, David Goldsmith, said the airport would create another leap in emissions, and it was hard to believe such a facility was being mooted during a climate crisis.

“No amount of sustainability greenwashing can hide the fact that increased flight capacity will mean increased emissions,” he said.

Goldsmith called on councillors to provide an explanation as to how the project was consistent with the council's climate emergency declaration.

The Tarras airport was expected to be operational within five to 15 years and would cost hundreds of millions to build, Christchurch Airport chief executive Malcolm Johns said when the project was first announced.

The proposed airport has already faced pushback from some locals in Tarras and Queenstown mayor Jim Boult.

Thursday's protest against the airport comes just a day after the New Zealand Government declared a climate emergency.