No Studios At Halswell

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30827, 12 August 1965, Page 1

No Studios At Halswell

(Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, August 11. The New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation will not proceed with plans for the development of television and radio studios on the corporation’s Halswell propertv adiacent to the R.N.Z.A.F. Station, Wigram. The director-general of the N.Z.B.C. (Mr. G. H. Stringer) said tonight recent pronouncements on the likelihood of jet training aircraft eventually replacing the Harvards and Devons at present in service at Wigram had convinced the corporation that their noise-levels would jeopardise the success of programmes produced on this site. “When the Broadcasting Service acquired Halswell in 1960, noise-level tests were carried out and discussions were held with the Air Force on the probable future flying-

training pattern at Wigram,” said Mr Stringer. “These discussions and tests indicated that the noiselevel would be acceptable, and it was decided to use this site as part of the seven-year development plan of the corporation. “With the co-operation of the Air Force, further noiselevel tests have been carried out recently using Vampire jet aircraft and it is now obvious that It would be uneconomic to build studios on this site. “The noise levels are such that the high degree of sound-proofing necessary for studio production would make buildings unduly expensive. “The corporation has therefore reluctantly decided that it must dispose of Halswell and seek a better site.” Mr Stringer said the change of plans should not delay future sound-radio and television installations in the Christchurch area. In television, Avalon (in the Hutt Valley near Wellington) was to have been developed before Halswell;

and plans and estimates for broadcasting studios were still in the hands of the architects and quantity surveyors.

“It is hoped that a new property will be acquired in the near future, and that the building of studios will proceed as scheduled,” Mr Stringer said. It was confirmed earlier

that planning for Halswell had not reached the stage where it could be taken to the Minister of Broadcasting (Mr Scott) for reference to the Cabinet works committee. The decision thus has no reference to possible deferment (such as was suffered by the Avalon project) because of the Government’s financial policy.