Helicopter noise criticism rejected

Press, 13 April 1984, Page 7

Helicopter noise criticism rejected

Claims that helicopter flights from New Brighton exceeded the noise limits set by the Christchurch City Council were totally incorrect, said a spokesman for Garden City Heliflights yesterday. The chairman of the South New Brighton Residents’ Association, Mr W. D. Jarman, said that recent decibel recordings of the helicopter were above the limit of 85 dba.

The New Brighton Action Committee, which had organised the recordings, would approach the City Council and expect it to “do something about it,” Mr Jarman said.

A company spokesman said recordings by the council had shown. 65 dba when the helicopter was flying at 300 m. The helicopter now

climbed to 360 m before flying over New Brighton. “A car travelling along the street would register between 70 and 75 dba,” the spokesman said.

An initial three-month trial period agreed to by the council expired yesterday. The council will not meet until Monday to discuss a recommendation by its parks and recreation committee to extend the trial until May 21. The scenic helicopter flights would continue this week-end in spite of the company’s technically having no approval, the spokesman said.

“We have paid our rent until May 21 and so we will stay there until May 21,” he said. He did not expect the council to go against the committee’s recommenda-

tion. The extension of the trial period was "frustrating.” The company had hoped for a “firm, positive decision” by now on the future of the flights, the spokesman said. Trips to tie in with other tourist activities were being planned but these could not go ahead until the council had agreed to allow the flights to continue permanently. An application for an injunction against the council in an effort to stop the flights will probably be lodged next week. Mr Jarman said lawyers were still preparing the case for the injunction. The injunction sought would require the council to make a decision through its town-planning committee, rather than by the council.