AIRPORT SCHEME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 237, 6 October 1936, Page 9

AIRPORT SCHEME.

ONER AH I SITE FAVOURED. REPORT BY P.W.D. ENGINEER. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WIIANGAKEI, this day. A report strongly favouring the adoption of a site at Oneralii as providing a landing ground which would be suitable for Wliangarei and district for -all time, was tabled at the meeting of the Wliangarei Airport Board last night Iv the District Public Works Engineer, Mr. R. H. Packwood. The meeting was held in committee, but subsequently Mr. Packwood's report was released for publication. A further meeting of the board is to be held to-morrow night with a view to reaching a definite decision as to which of the several grounds now under consideration should be adopted, and to discussing details of finance and administration.

Following an earlier meeting, at which Mr. Packwood placed before the board the possibility of Oneralii as an airport, surveys and plans were put in hand and tentative proposals forwarded to Wellington. A reply from the head office of the Public Works Department had just been received, and the followin<r is an extract therefrom: "It would appear that the site is excellent from the flying point of view, and is easily the best so far inspected in the Whangarei area. The matter was fully discussed with the Air Force officer detailed to inspect the site and full agreement on the requirements from the Jlying point of view has been arrived at." _ In his report Mr. Packwood briefly outlined some of the principal factors taken into consideration in weighing up) the merits of the site. "It is proposed," he said, "to locate, the airport at a central situation on the elevated basaltic tableland which forms the top of the Oneralii peninsula, a conspicuous and unmistakable headland which possesses many natural advantages for this purpose. The particular area of tableland proposed to be acquired as an aerodrome is roughly triangular in shape, with its major axis almost exactly in the direction of the prevailing winds, south-west and north-east, in which direction a runway of nearly 1000 yards is obtainable. Because of its altitude this site, which averages 125 ft above mean sea level, is not subject to the ground mists which prevail on the low-lying reclaimed land previously considered, nor is it affected to the same degree by heavy fogs; and what is perhaps of still more consequence, it is not open to objection on account of the possible risk of inundation by tidal or flood waters. Maintenance costs are likely to be a minimum. The distance by inain road from the centre of Wliangarei is 5i miles. Mr. Packwood believed that the time for development would be at least four years shorter than in the case of Otaika. In view of the importance of Wliangarei, the Public Works Department, Wellington, considered that, if possible, provision should be made for a class B aerodrome, within which classification Oneralii could easily come. The board decided last night to limit its consideration of possible grounds to those which would provide a B class field.