AERODROME AT OHAKEA

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22796, 23 August 1939, Page 10

AERODROME AT OHAKEA

.Why Hangars Were Not Put Underground

HEAVY EXPENDITURE INVOLVED IFrona Our Parliamentary. Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 22. The reasons why the authorities considered it impracticable to place the hangars at Ohakea aerodrome underground, as was suggested earlier in the financial debate by Mr H. G. Dickie (Opposition, Patea) were given by Mr J. O’Brien (Government, Westland) during the debate in the House of Representatives to-night. Mr Dickie's suggestion. Mr O’Brien said, was fantastic and ridiculous.

Quoting from a statement which, he said, had been compiled by air officers and competent engineers, Mr O’Brien said that in the first place enemy aeroplanes would look for more important objects such as shipping, railways, and petrol supplies, instead of taking the additional risk of travelling inland to bomb what would be by the time they arrived there empty hangars. If Mr Dickie’s suggestion were adopted, the additional cost of placing the Otiakea hangars, underground' would be approximately £1.200.000, to which sum must be added the cost of installing underground electric equipment and water supplies. “It is safe to assume that the additional cost of the Ohakea aerodrome would approach £2.000.000.” said Mr O’Brien, “and if the same policy were adopted with existing military aero-dr-mes, and .those under construction, the extra cost would be approximately £10.000.000. Apart from that, the aerodrome would take years to construct. The estimated cost of Ohakea . under the present proposals is £460,000.” The’ statement by Mr Dickie .that the aerodrome now being constructed at Paraparaumu should have been located at Te Horo was also criticised by Mr O’Brien. He said that the Paraparaumu site was an emergency landing ground, and well suited for this purpose, as in bad weather Kapitl Island provided a good location guide. It was also closer to Wellington than Te Horbi by 20 minutes in a motorcar. In future - it would provide a municipal aerodrome for what would be a part ‘ Of-greater Wellington. The land was of ViUle value from an agricultural point of vie»-, and a good sole of grass was assured as a result of the methods adopted. At Gisborne the aerodrome had been constructed on sand, and it was now growing grass prolificacy.. Te Horo, on the other hand, would not be so easy to locate from the r air in bad weather, and it was further from Wellington.