CIAL OIA Request Response to Suze Keith 8 Sept 2023.pdf

PO Box 14001
Christchurch 8544
New Zealand
Telephone (+64 3) 358 5029
christchurchairport.co.nz
8 September 2023
Suze Keith
Email: C/-  <[FYI request #23809 email]>
Tēnā koe Suze
OFFICIAL  INFORMATION  ACT  1982  (OIA)  –  REQUEST  FOR  INFORMATION  -
CHRISTCHURCH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LIMITED (CIAL)
1.
We write further to our email of 14 August 2023, acknowledging receipt of your OIA
request  of  13  August  2023  seeking  information  (if  held  by  CIAL)  in  relation to  the
proposed Central Otago airport project (the Project):
Request : Received 13 August – Presentation to Ignite Wānaka 27 July 2023
Could I please have:
- A full copy of the powerpoint presentation

- Details of the source data for all slides in the presentation (logically, all slides which
show statistics or facts, or where a claim is made)

- For the international visitor spend slide, a further breakdown of what the "spend"
includes, or even better, how it is broken down

- For the slide which presented emissions relating to different travel options from
Auckland to Wānaka, please provide the calculations including assumptions made

- Mr Boswell told the audience that Central Otago would be a lot better off with a lot
more tourists. Could he please provide the evidence and data to substantiate the
claims made that Challenge Wānaka and Warbirds over Wānaka would not be
possible without high levels of tourism, amongst other events.
2.
CIAL  will  provide  you  with  the  requested  information  where  it  is  able.    Each  OIA
query CIAL receives is assessed on a case by case basis, given the particular facts
and circumstances in play at that time.  This Project is a complex commercial activity
whereby  CIAL  is  investigating  the  feasibility  of  establishing  an  airport  in  Central
Otago and at present, CIAL is under no legal obligation to consult in relation to the
Project.    In  addition,  CIAL  is  also  operating  in  a  commercially  competitive
environment and this must be weighed against the considerations of public interest.

Before we answer your specific queries, it may be helpful to provide some additional
context to this.
3.
CIAL  is  a  council-controlled  trading  organisation  that  has  been  specifically
established  to  operate  and  manage  its  business  as  an  independent  commercial
undertaking for the purposes of making a profit, and to follow generally accepted
commercial  practices  and  disciplines.  CIAL  is  not  a  public  body  collecting  and
spending public funds. It operates as a wholly commercial, standalone entity. Due
to the size and scale of those activities it is one of only three major airports in New
Zealand regulated under Part 4 of the Commerce Act.
4.
To assist public understanding of the context of the Project and  CIAL’s decisions,
CIAL has committed to, and does, proactively publish information as it completes
pieces of work which is likely to be in the public interest to receive on its dedicated
Project website at https://www.centralotagoairport.co.nz/. Until work is completed,
it  is  not  capable  of  being  released.  Over  time  this  will  see  more  information
voluntarily  released.  In  such  instances  the  public  interest  test  will  have  been
considered and weighed up as part of the decision whether to release information or
not. Equally, each OIA query CIAL receives will be assessed on a case by case basis
given the particular given facts and circumstances at play at that time.
5.
In respect of your request, we respond as follows:

Request:
•
“A full copy of the powerpoint presentation”
See attached.
•
“Details  of  the  source  data  for  all  slides  in  the  presentation  (logically,  all
slides which  show statistics or facts, or where a claim is made)”
The attached presentation includes references to source data. The source of the data
in Slide 8 was Stats NZ.
•
“For the international visitor spend slide, a further breakdown of what the
"spend" includes, or even better, how it is broken down”
Information  for  the  international  visitor  slide  was  provided  by  Freshinfo  from  a
variety  of  sources  including  the  MBIE  Monthly  Regional  Tourism  Estimates,  MBIE
International Visitor Survey, and Domestic Visitor Survey, Fresh Info. Beyond that
CIAL has no obligation to create information to answer a request.
•
“For the slide which presented emissions relating to different travel options
from  Auckland  to  Wānaka,  please  provide  the  calculations  including
assumptions made”
See below.
Avg CO2e
Aircraft
Origin
Via Airport  Distance(Km)
Per Pax
Option
A320N
     AKL
CHC
758
115
Fly and Drive
A320N
AKL
COA
1030
152
Fly and Drive
A320N
AKL
DUD
1067
162
Fly and Drive
A320N
AKL
IVC
1196
178
Fly and Drive
A320N
AKL
ZQN
1087
159
Fly and Drive
Estimation Source = Airbiz

Destination
Distance
Via Airport
Option

Wanaka
422
CHC
Fly and Drive

Wanaka
32
COA
Fly and Drive

Wanaka
248
DUD
Fly and Drive

Wanaka
248
IVC
Fly and Drive

Wanaka
64
ZQN
Fly and Drive

Estimation Source = AA Driving Distance Calc tool

CO2e
Vehicle
(Kg Per Km)

Bus
0.03


Electric Vehicle
0.03


Hybrid Vehicle
0.15


Medium Size
Vehicle
0.2


Estimation Source = Toitu and MFE Emissions Factors

•
“Mr Boswell told the audience that Central Otago would be a lot better  off
with a lot more tourists. Could he please provide the evidence and data to
substantiate  the  claims  made  that  Challenge  Wānaka  and  Warbirds  over
Wānaka would not be possible without high levels of tourism, amongst other
events.”
From  the  outset  Rhys  Boswell’s  general  comments,  which  you  have  sought  to
characterise, were referring to the fact that visitor spending sustains business that
Central Otago residents enjoy having access to. In addition, Mr Boswell was sharing
his  perspective  and  cited  Challenge  Wānaka  and  Warbirds  over  Wānaka  as  an
example  piece  of  how  visitors  make  major  events  in  Central  Otago  viable.  In
response  to  your  Request,  more  information  on  how  visitor  spending  sustains
businesses and events that Central Otago residents enjoy having access to can be
found in the following documents below:
https://www.centralotagoairport.co.nz/uploads/images/mediumres_PAAV2_d
igital_31Aug2023.pdf
https://www.centralotagoairport.co.nz/uploads/images/COA-How-do-
visitors-contribute-Info-paper.pdf
Please also note as follows:
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/wanaka/warbirds-airshow-returns-after-six-
years#:~:text=The%20event%2C%20usually%20held%20every,it%20had
%20the%20same%20fate.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/otago/104498808/warbirds-over-wanaka-releases-
economic-impact-report-from-2018-airshow
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/wanaka/warbirds-spend-4m-23m
https://www.challenge-wanaka.com/2018/04/11/challenge-wanaka-poised-
for-exciting-new-era/

https://www.majorevents.govt.nz/dmsdocument/4566-challenge-wanaka-
volunteer-management
6.
We  trust  we  have  answered  your  requests  for  information.    If  you  require  any
further information or if we have in some way misinterpreted your requests, please
let us know.
7.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of the
decisions  contained  in  this  letter.    Information  about  how  to  contact  the
Ombudsman or make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.

Yours sincerely
CIAL LEGAL TEAM
Email: [Christchurch International Airport Limited request email]