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•  proposes stricter rules for new helipads on and Aotea islands.
• The proposal includes assessing noise and vibrations’ impact on Māori heritage and ecological sites.
• Public submissions on the proposal will be invited in the coming weeks.

Officials have suggested tougher rules for anyone wanting to building a helipad on Auckland’s Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier islands.

Auckland Council is proposing to raise the bar for helipad consents to ease the impact of the noise and vibrations caused by helicopters.

At today’s Policy and Planning Committee meeting, the council called for all new helipad applications to reach new proposed guidelines that help protect Māori heritage sites, ecological sites, breeding sites and nesting areas of threatened, endangered or rare species.

Auckland councillor Richard Hills. Photo / Dean Purcell

Councillor Richard Hills, chair of the Policy and Planning Committee, says making the change will broaden what an assessment of a helipad application covers.

“Local boards and community members on Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier have come to the council with concerns over the number of helipads on the islands. They have said that the noise can be quite imposing and the council’s planning rules need to be strengthened.”

Auckland Council said it had looked at what it could do to help reduce the noise in future assessments.

“Currently, the council considers the impact of noise when reviewing an application to build a helipad, and we introduced stricter standards last year. We are now proposing to broaden what an assessment of a helipad application covers, such as how the noise and vibration from a helicopter could affect nesting birds. You will be able to submit your views on this in the coming weeks.

“I am grateful to both chair Cath Handley and chair Izzy Fordham and the Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier local boards for their strong advocacy on this topic and their work to get the best outcomes for the communities they represent,” Hills said.

Tighter helipad consenting rules may be on the horizon for Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier Islands. Photo / 123RF

Under the new proposal, the standards for assessing new helipads would be updated, and a reference to the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement would be added.

Auckland Council said building a new helipad on Waiheke or Aotea Great Barrier would remain a “restricted discretionary activity”.

This means a resource consent is required to build one, and the council will apply the relevant laws when assessing each application.

“This is a step that we can take ahead of our full review of the Auckland Unitary Plan, which will start at the end of 2026. It intends to help manage helipads before this starts,” planning and resource consents general manager John Duguid said.

“Helicopter movements and landing pads will be considered again as part of the review of the unitary plan, particularly as the plan will be extended to include the Hauraki Gulf Islands,” Duguid said.

“Today’s decision by the Policy and Planning Committee is a step in the right direction but there’s still a long way to go,” Aotea / Great Barrier Local Board chair Izzy Fordham said.

“Aotea / Great Barrier Local Board sees this as an interim measure that will add an extra layer of consideration to applications, and we welcome that.”