• Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray plan to operate helicopters during a two-hour low tide window.
• Their $24 million Westmere mansion redevelopment includes a helipad, drawing 1400 submissions, mostly opposed.
• Auckland Council opposed the proposal, citing ecological and environmental impacts, and recommended refusing consent.

Ali Williams and his wife Anna Mowbray only plan to operate helicopters at their $24 million mansion during a two-hour low tide window when birds are out feeding, a hearing heard today.

Williams, a former All Black, and Mowbray, one of New Zealand’s richest businesswomen, have plans for a helipad as part of the redevelopment of their 4530sq m Westmere property, which sits on a headland jutting into the Waitematā Harbour.

A four-day hearing has started at the Auckland Town Hall today into the application, which has drawn 1400 submissions, of which about 1300 were opposed.

A breakdown of the submissions found ecological and environmental impacts, nuisance and disruption, followed by the effects on Westmere residents and visitors, were the three biggest themes.

The hearing is being held before three commissioners, the chairman Kitt Littlejohn, David Hill, and Dr Hilke Giles.

A lawyer for the couple, Chris Simmons, said the application is for no more than two take-off and landing flights a day, up to 10 flights per month, occurring within a two-hour window on either side of low tide when birds are out feeding.

No physical works are proposed because all flights would land on grass, he said.

Simmons said it was his view that the concerns of submitters are overstated or misunderstood the application, saying community groups have a role to play, but are not representative of the view of the entire community.

Last month, Auckland Council came out against the proposal.

In a 356-page report, council planner Adonica Giborees said the helipad would adversely affect ecological values, trees, character and amenity, and recreational activities.

“I recommend…resource consent is refused to the application to use a residential site for the take-off and landing of helicopters,” she said.