Almost a year ago, on 24 July, a packed public gallery applauded as Auckland Council finally voted to ban new helipads in residential areas of the Hauraki Gulf Islands.
The council ordered a change to the Hauraki Gulf Islands District Plan to make building new helipads a prohibited activity, in a major win for community groups, environmentalists and the Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier Local Boards who lobbied for this for nearly a decade.
‘Prohibited’ is the strictest activity status for resource consents, requiring applicants to seek a District Plan change to get approval. Ironically, earlier in 2025, the National Coalition government had announced that until its Resource Management Act reforms were complete, all local government plan changes were on hold unless given an exemption by RMA reform Minister Chris Bishop.
Full story in this week’s Gulf News……. On sale now
© Waiheke Gulf News Ltd 2025
