A new proposal to extend the tarmac of Wellington Airport to the east, nudging it up against the back gardens on Nuku St, Raukawa St, and Bunker Way, was brought to the table in a three-day hearing last week. Weeber spent hours of her own time pouring over council documents, legislation, and expert opinion to form her own rebuttal.
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Yvonne Weeber grew up in 186 Coutts St, pictured here, just down the road from the airport. Planes coming and going overhead were a constant in her childhood. The Kilbirnie family home was sold six years ago, and Weeber now lives in Lyall Bay, but she grew up with a pervasive hum as a soundtrack to her childhood.
On Wednesday the airport made its case for an expansion of the tarmac across the former golf course, leaving around a third of the land as a buffer between houses and tarmac. Muthu and his family – three daughters, his wife, and his mother – have lived there for the past eight years, and he was concerned about the potential noise. “I come from India. I know about noise.”
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Strathmore Park resident Karuna Muthu will be metres away from the tarmac if the designation for the former golf course land is confirmed. One of his daughters had severe autism requiring round-the-clock care, stability, and familiarity. Large-scale construction and activity right next door would be especially hard for her.