Briscoes boss appealing decision to limit helicopter use at exclusive Auckland waterfront home

December 11, 2017

Briscoes managing director Rod Duke is appealing a decision by the Auckland Council that refused to allow six helicopter flights from a developing Herne Bay property, instead only allocating three flights. 

Mr Duke and wife Patricia received consent from the council to develop a boat shed into a helicopter pad on a property the pair are building, RNZ reports.

The boat shed is placed over Sentinel Beach Reserve. 

At the moment a helicopter is restricted to landing and taking-off three times a week at the property, however the Duke's applied for consent for six flights (six arrivals and six departures) per week. 

Mr Duke told Radio New Zealand his neighbour had been allocated use of their helicopter pad up to six times a week.

"I want the helicopter pad there so I can travel more frequently and conveniently to the spots I want to go to," he said to RNZ.

Mark White of Auckland Council told 1 NEWS "the applicant's noise expert provided an assessment of noise effects which was based on a maximum of three flights per week (three arrivals and three departures), with a maximum of one arrival and departure on any one day".

"The council based its assessment on the information provided by the applicants' noise expert and recommended that the application be processed on a limited notified basis" to the neighbouring properties. 

"A greater number of flights per week would have required an amended noise assessment and may have required the application to be notified, on either a limited or full notification basis," Mr White said.

He said the Dukes have appealed the decision to the Environment Court.

"The Court has issued a decision enabling the Dukes to commence their current consent (such as construction of the helipad), but does not enable the Dukes to have helicopter flights whilst the appeal is before the Environment Court," he said. 

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