Airport Extension Approval Soon?

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32314, 4 June 1970, Page 1

Airport Extension Approval Soon?

Approval of plans to extend the terminal building at Christchurch Airport is not expected to be delayed much longer.

The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr A. R. Guthrey) said yesterday that something positive should be known in about two weeks.

The extensions, estimated to cost more than slm, were agreed to in principle nine months ago by the Christchurch City Council, the National Airways Corporation, and other airport users. The architectural design reports and relevant sketch plans were submitted to the Government for approval in principle last November. The original proposals were altered in February when the airport authority decided on an alternative method of financing the development..

Because of official silence from Wellington a telegram was sent to the secretary of the Civil Aviation Division (Mr R. J. Polaschek) wanting to. know why approval had been held up for so long. Mr Guthrey and the airport manager (Mr A. I. R. Jamieson) decided on this course after discussing the airport extension delay informally on Tuesday. Mr Guthrey said that be believed submissions on the project from the Ministry of Works and from the Treasury were almost ready: the Civil Aviation Division had made a favourable submission, and the three were due before the Cabinet sub-com-mittee next week.

More delays could only mean an escalation of costs, said Mr Guthrey, who added that at peak times the traffic

situation at the airport was desperate. STIS £3 be needed before tenders could be let.

“We are most anxious to have the work started this >»> •« <■» will be completed by 1972,” he said.