AIRPORT FOR AUCKLAND

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27037, 12 May 1953, Page 10

AIRPORT FOR AUCKLAND

SURVEY OF PROPOSED SITE

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, May 11. An operational survey of the proposed site for an Auckland international airport at Wiri had been s arted, and he would expedite it, said the prime Minister (Mr Holland) to a deputation which waited on him in Auckland today. Mr Holland said this evening that he informed the deputation that he had received representations urging the Government to put a proclamation over certain farmland at Wiri and to declare the site as the one for Auckland’s future international airport. He told the deputation that the Government would not be willing to put a proclamation on any property on .the chance that investigations might show it to be suitable for an airport. It was agreed that before a decision was made there must be a complete engineering survey, as well as an operational survey of the site and a thorough assessment of the cost of the project Considerable reference had been made to the establishment of an international airport at Harewood and also to the Rongotai airport. In both cases local authorities had undertaken a substantial part of the cost The deputation bad undertaken to consider the question of the financial part that Auddand should play, and had agreed that it’ was reasonable that there should be a substantial contribution by