MODERNISING WHENUAPAI

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29154, 15 March 1960, Page 15

MODERNISING WHENUAPAI

Cost Put At £6m

"The Prqss" Special Service AUCKLAND, March 14.

It would cost £6 million to upgrade Whenuapai to a standard capable of taking the load of modern overseas airliners, said the Minister of Defence (Mr Connolly) in an address at Devonport. He said he had been advised by the Commissioner of Works (Mr F. M. Hanson) that this would still provide no more than one aerodrome for both civil and military aircraft operations, both of which were increasing. There would soon be conflict between civil aircraft and the R.N.Z.A.F., and in a very short time the two would be “completely incompatible,” Mr Connolly said.

Whatever might be done at Whenuapai, to provide for full internal and international civic aviation, there was no doubt that within a few years, and certainly not later than 1970, a complete new Air Force aerodrome and station would have to be built elsewhere. Air Force Assets

The R.N.Z.A.F. total assets at Whenuapai and Hobsonville totalled between £8 and £lO million. Even if some of these assets, such as housing, hangars and stores, could be realised when a new Air Force station was built, the net cost would be not less than £8 million.

“By spending £6J million at Mangere,” said Mr Connolly, “we could really gain two airports, one for the R.N.Z.A.F. at Whenuapai and one for civil aviation at Mangere.”

The extension of the Whenuapai runway to 10,000 ft would cost about £4j million. This would be reasonably satisfactory for a few years only and an' additional £8 million would have to be spent on an RK.ZAJ*. station at Whenuapai. At Whenuapai, therefore, with £6 million for civil aviation and £8 million for the Air Force, Auckland would still have only one airport, costing £l4 million.