This time It's our community. Next time it could be yours. 

Plane Truth, Auckland

Residents living in the suburbs of Epsom, Royal Oak, One Tree Hill and Onehunga were caused significant distress by low and noisy aircraft due to aircraft trialling new satellite-guided flight approaches in 2013. Plane Truth challenged Auckland International Airport Ltd, Auckland Council, Airways NZ and the CAA in court for "conspiring against Auckland residents to implement changes to aviation primarily for the benefit of big business". Auckland Airport commissioned Marshall Day for its acoustic analysis. 

Hawke's Bay

Hawke’s Bay Airport Ltd (HBAL) and Airways installed new flight paths over Napier without advising or consulting with affected residents. These were implemented on 30 November 2023, and additional flight paths were implemented in 2024. Passenger numbers are projected to double by 2030.  HBAL chose not to mitigate the issue for affected residents, instead claiming that the acoustic analysis produced by Marshall Day reports the noise is "reasonable".

Tahunanui Community, Nelson

The Tahunanui Business & Citizens Association (TBCA) is a volunteer group that has positively advocated for its community for three decades. It is taking Nelson City Council (NCC) and Nelson Airport Ltd (NAL) to the Environment Court, to ensure the community has a voice. The community says it has not been sufficiently consulted about a 'private plan change'. The TBCA is one of three groups that are challenging the decision.

The second group is the privately-owned, 100-year-old Nelson Golf Club, who were told minor readjustments of their greens would be required. But whose buildings will be removed - including the clubhouse/events centre and five holes of their competition Link course. The golf club has been enacted as a public safety zone/area, and the removal of this land (under the Public Works Act) has resulted in community concerns for residents' health, well-being and safety. 

The third party is the Tahuna Beach Camp, which borders the inlet at the back of Tahunanui. NCC are questioning the residence status of the 110 residents, potentially labelling them 'illegal residents'. 

Plane Sense Wellington

Plane Sense has been pushing back on increased aircraft noise in the local suburbs since the DMAPS flight path change was implemented on 1 December 2022, with no consultation process or notice. DMAPS was designed by Airways' subsidiary Aeropath and approved by Wellington International Airport Limited, and gazetted belatedly by the Director of the CAA. Plane Sense has had no support from Wellington City Council, which owns 34% of Wellington Airport and whose Mayor sits on the board of directors. 

Marshall Day's original acoustic modelling, which informed Wellington Airport's decision to approve the flight path change, was found to be inaccurate when Plane Sense campaigned for noise monitors in the suburbs to capture actual noise post-implementation. Despite this, Marshall Day continues to downplay the noise impact on residents with health and wellbeing concerns, including children, the elderly and vulnerable residents with physical and mental health conditions. Stating that decibel levels are "reasonable".

Guardians of the bays, Wellington

A Wellington group based close to Wellington Airport, campaigning for communities to come before corporations and profit. The group has battled Wellington Airport's expansion into populated areas and the runway extension threatening the marine environment. Wellington Airport has commissioned Marshall Day to provide acoustic advice on the expansion. Guardians of the Bays has uncovered inconsistent opinions from Marshall Day, whose reports (in the quoted cases) have a pattern of minimising the effects of aircraft noise on residents.