AIRPORT MASTER PLAN APPROVED

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28823, 18 February 1959, Page 14

AIRPORT MASTER PLAN APPROVED

The master plan for the functional devetouEb&t/ of Christchurch Airport was approved yesterday, at a conference among those local bodies, GovernMW departments, firms and private operators difiMpSy concerned in the future of the airfield. . .. . ■

The local bodies also reaffirmed their general zoning policy in the neighbourhood of the airport, and obtained the Civil Aviation Administration's agreement in principle to its provisions. This was stated after the all-day meetings—one on airport development and the . other on zoning—by the chairman of the Christchurch City Council airport committee (Cr. A. R. Guthrey). It was also agreed, he said, that the airport manager (Mr A. I. R. Jamieson) should be the airport committee’s agent for the further development pt the functionalplan and its operation. “We will not be calling in Mr Leigh Fisher again, or any other airport consultant, but will be handing over the job to Mr Jamieson.” For this purpose Mr Jamieson would have the right to call upon the technical services' of the Ministry ot Works and the City Council, and. the council's legal, services, whenever these 1 were necessary. He would also, in! time, build up a small staff to! assist him in this work.

Among those represented dur-' ing the conference were, in addition to the City Council, CAA. and Ministry of Works, the Regional Planning Authority, the! National Airways Corporation. Tasman Empire Airways, Ltd., the) Canterbuiy Aero Club, and other private firms operating from the airport, Joint Planning The master plan, which was drawn up jointly by the city council, C.A.A., and Ministry of Works, and is based on an dutUne plan of development proposed several years ago by Mr Borgeson, an airport consultant called in to-advise on the development of Rongotai airport, Wellington, was seen for the first time yesterday by the operaton. Several of them had some minor quibbles with the proposals as outlined on it, but all gave their agreement to it in principle, said Cr. Guthrey. Those operators spoken to agreed with him on this point "We like the plan very much," said the Christchurch manager for NA.C. (Mr J. Davies). last evening. "It is sound and favourable."

Its main provision is the doubling of the present atea enclosed by the arc of the terminal building by an extension to the northeast Along this line a building for the crash tenders, a freight i building and two hangars are • proposed to be built. This will 1 enclose a wide swathe of land . between that line, which is parallel to the main runway, and . Russley road. The south side of the entrance 1 drive leading to the terminal ■ building roundabout will be retained almost exclusively for the use of N.A.C. with the inclusion of part of the transit housing ; settlement for the U.S. Antarctic

expedition. Parking areas will be set aside

for 850 ears In lots on ettMwtl* of the entrance drive, and’tt W triangle by the preseat' aldK entrance land has been manat out for a mhmoriaMand a MM.' Large areas are also aßgfrM*on the' plan, for extensMa Mr present onerrtoro for dtiHJ a* yet established a< tite jOroOtt, ffr industries allied to tlons and tdr letting fc^-othv for ftase hetivftiaa It about -sgid <&’. Quthrw, and is hbW appttetjmnaly 1* acres. "'■' l ' v ' Cr. Guthrey said he was pltaaid that the C.A.A., whose delegatiM was led by the director (or Arthur Nevin), had agreed la principle to support the Iced bodies’ zoning restriction* in tfit neighbourhood of the airport. TMa was the first time gueh an aae* ance had been obtained from tte he aattl.’ ’ The administration’s fiaaadM commitments extended oatajs •* safety and clearance 2MMJKM* immediate vicinity of OtotaMML port oh' the wider aspeeU Mlafrpprt zoning, h> said. ;