Today’s decisions frame tomorrow’s opportunity
New Zealanders live on remote islands connected to the world by air and sea. All aspects of social and economic opportunity for Kiwis, now and into the future, rely on that connection.
Christchurch Airport is multi-generational infrastructure South Islanders need for social and economic connectivity. For one million people, 60-thousand jobs, and thousands of small, medium and large businesses across every region of the South Island, noise contours determine today’s and tomorrow’s social and economic opportunity. Global standards mean making good decisions today will protect everybody’s tomorrow.
In the decade since the last review of noise contours, there has been a once-in-a-generation global shift in aviation navigation, referred to as Performance Based Navigation (PBN). PBN changed aircraft arrival and departure tracks, resulting in improved safety, reduced carbon emissions, flight paths directed away from existing urban areas, and overall reduced cost to consumers and businesses. The updated arrival and departure tracks are also changing the shape of Air Noise Contours.
Intergenerational noise contours are one of many inputs into successful spatial planning providing for connected and prosperous regions. They are reviewed according to a very specific process. Noise contours are Environment Canterbury’s spatial planning tool, so every decade, the regional council asks us to remodel the noise contours. We have done that and offer a link to the full report at the bottom of this page.
Environment Canterbury will appoint a panel of independent experts to review the draft remodelled contours, then make that review public – possibly about halfway through 2022.
Read the full report here.