The owner of a Tarras farm being subdivided into a 17-lot lifestyle development, says its possible future neighbour, an international airport, is neither justified nor desirable for the region.

Lloyd Morris, whose 132ha farm-park housing development was given the go ahead this week by the Central Otago District Council(CODC), said the airport would detract from, rather than add to Central Otago as a region.

One of two flightpaths being investigated by Christchurch International Airport Ltd (CIAL) for its proposed Central Otago international airport would cross directly overhead of the Jolly Road farm, if the airport was consented.

CIAL has indicated they will begin seeking consents for the 2.2km runway and associated development from 2024.

Morris, a civil engineer, said such a development was at odds with what made places like Tarras attractive.

“Central Otago has something that is unique and of such a quality that it’s what draws people to the area.

"It seems strange that in a bid to, and the words I keep hearing are, re-energise and revitalise, lets do it through an airport.

"It seems counterintuitive.”

He described the proposal as a large commercial transport hub, “no different to a port or a railway”, but in this case, one that was not required.

“The public is being fed a story, a narrative that is refreshed every now and then so it is in front of the public’s mind - an airport is coming, an airport is coming.

"But, the benefits are confused, they don’t make sense in my humble view.”

He said large airport companies like CIAL were essentially property developers who, like any transport hub providers, generated revenue from building and activity such as providing commercial space to tenants.

“What they are, are property companies.

"Christchurch Airport is in reality, a property company, that’s all it is.

"It offers sincerity and justification to its mandate by saying here we are, we’ve given you an airport.”

He questioned the flight capability to take produce direct to Asia from the site, and to fill back-loads from there, due to the decline of high-volume tourism.

Morris, who is also a pilot, believed the proposed flight paths within the mountainous area would not allow for fully loaded and fueled aircraft, capable of flying direct to markets like Shanghai, to operate.

He said the southern region already had three international airports at Dunedin, Invercargill and Queenstown, as well as Wanaka Airport for domestic traffic, servicing a population less than that of the city of Hamilton.

“Also it wasn’t that long ago that Queenstown themselves were venturing to say ‘we are at peak tourist’.

"When is enough, enough.

"I can’t see, myself personally, that Christchurch Airport is in a position to make a sensible, credible or even robust business plan.

CIAL project director Michael Singleton said the Tarras airport proposal was in response to rapid population growth the southern region.

“Our project is investigating an option for addressing the airport infrastructure gap the region will face.

"The benefits of airports and the connectivity they bring to the places they are located in are widely recognised and understood.”

CIAL were undertaking detailed investigations into the “specific benefits” of the project at a local and regional level.

He said Douglas Developments Ltd’s farm-park subdivision was one example of a planned investment in Tarras and there would be others.

“That investment highlights that others see Tarras will continue to be an attractive place for people to move to.”

The site of the Tarras farm-park. CIAL’s international airport, if it proceeds, would lie directly to the south, across the highway.

Morris did not want to speculate on whether Douglas Developments Ltd would oppose any future applications by CIAL, as all directors and the family had not yet reached a final position on the matter.

At his Jolly Road site, the 17-lots will be held as unit titles under a body corporate and each will share ownership and access to the what was a working farm.

This would ensure, according to a report presented to CODC, that purchasers had an interest in farming activities and how the farm was managed.

This shared-ownership development style has been seen in neighbouring areas such as at Bendemeer, Lake Hayes, but is fairly new to Central Otago.

Considerable plantings and landscaping designed to help the development tie in with surrounding lifestyle developments, would undertaken as priority, Morris said.

It was possible lots could be available by next summer.