New Speedway “Would Affect Vital Air Link”

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28869, 14 April 1959, Page 14

New Speedway “Would Affect Vital Air Link”

An £BOOO to £lO,OOO remote receiving station near the Christchurch airport which was “a vital link in the New Zealand national airway safety system” would be Seriously affected if a speedway-stadium were erected on the proposed site in Savills road, Yaldhurst, the chief administration officer of the Civil Aviation Administration XMr R. F. Wakefield) told a meeting of the Paparua County Council last night. . " .

Mr Wakefield was opposing the application of the Christchurch Speedway Association to build a stadium in Savills road. The council went into committee to consider its decision, but no announcement had been made by 12.30 a.m. today.

The remote receiver was. situated slightly less than half a mile from; the speedway sit?; and motor traffic going to the speedway .and motor-cycles operating would adversely affect the operation of the receiver station, he said.

The receiver station had more equipment than met the eye. It was built at a cost of £BOOO to £lO,OOO, and the cables running from the control tower at Harewood to the station cost £2OO a mile, Mr Wakefield said. If the application were granted and the administration had to move the station, “we may face the same problems elsewhere,” he said. It was essential to have the station sited away from the airport because of electrical interference from other equipment, he said. Importance of Station The station was so important that a duplicate station was installed in the airport control tower “just in case a bulldozer

broke the connecting cable,” he’ said. -f Mr Wakefield said that in other centres, where the remote receiver status operated, there was electrical interference but it was ffom machines . such as milling machines, and the administration was able to have suppressors fitted to the machines. There were nine receivers at the station situated 20 chains from the airport. The receivers for distant signals were used extensively during flights to and from the Antarctic by the United States expedition, said Mr Wakefield. Technical evidence was given by the administration’s supervising engineer (Mr R. B. Glassey) and the regional communications officer (Mr F. E. Broom). “The station is also used by the Post and Telegraph Department as an emergency station, and they are right behind us in our objections,” said Mr. Broom. Applicant’s Views “We knew nothing of the receiving station until this evening,” said Mr A. Hearn, who represented the Christchurch Speedway Association. He submitted that there had been no positive evidence that cars and motor-cycles at the speedway would affect the operation of the station. However, it was not for the Paparua County Council to decide: the Civil Aviation Administration had the power to protect its equipment, Mr Hearn submitted. It had power to take the land to protect the station, he said.

Mr Wakefield said that the Civil Aviation Administration had the power under the Public Works Act, but did not want to take all the land surrounding the station. “It would be impracticable to take land every time this happened,” said Mr Wakefield.