Tarras Airport – issues and implications

Tarras is an iconic Central Otago Village

  • Christchurch Airport has bought 750 hectares of farmland in the heart of our valley to build a major international airport.
  • This is the same area as the whole Christchurch airport precinct.
  • Major development of infrastructure, hotels and associated services will follow.
  • There are 400 people in Tarras whose lives will totally change
  • Let’s think about how this affects all New Zealanders.
  • Help us protect and preserve these lands for future generations.

Tarras is a small community in the centre of 14000 households in the Upper Clutha region.


Upper Clutha residents include multi-generational farming families and a rapidly growing number of professionals who have chosen to live in semi-rural areas, where they can enjoy and sustain the environment while maintaining an active professional life.


Their quality of life would be severely disturbed by construction of an airport and subsequent degradation of their environment.

Building an unnecessary new airport affects all New Zealanders

The impacts include, but are certainly not limited to:

  • Carbon emissions / climate change
  • Noise
  • Pollution of air and waterways
  • Night sky pollution
  • Loss of native plants, birds and animals
  • Disruption of a long-established rural community and school
  • Overcrowding and congestion of parks, reserves and waterways
  • Disruption of rental homes by short-stay facilities
  • Burden of additional infrastructure costs
  • Threat of overtourism

Our country’s direction – surely we should ALL have a say?

The decision on where national airports are located should not be in the hands of a single commercial company with its own vested interest. Our country, our land, our heritage, our future belong to our people.

This should be a decision for all of us. The discussion should be open. Facts should be on the table.

Use the menu at the top of this page to look at each sub-issue closely.

Take action / find out more

  • Learn more about the airport proposal and its implications – here.
  • Learn more about the gold mine proposal and its implications – here.
  • Join us in Saying No to the Mine – here.
  • Learn more about Sustainable Tarras – here.
  • Check out our latest updates from the Sustainable Tarras Team – here.
  • Donate to the fight – details here.