‘No pressure’ on Chathams link

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33941, 6 September 1975, Page 20

‘No pressure’ on Chathams link

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON. No pressure, of any kind had been brought upon Chatham Islanders by the Government or any of its agencies to oppose the introduction of a private air service between the Chathams and Christchurch, the Minister of Health (Mr McGuigan) said.

• “The chairman of the Chat{ham Islands County Council (Mr A. O. Preece) is right. The president of the Canterjbury Chamber of Commerce (Mr D. C. Dunn) is wrong." said Mr McGuigan, the member of Parliament for Lyttelton. ' Mr Preece had said that a design study for a sealed ■ runway was being made. Mr Dunn told last night's I meeting of the Chamber of Commerce that the islanders had been told that if they {supported the application fori a new sendee the new runway would lose priority. Mr! Preece has since denied that the Government had made any threats of this. "Planning for the new site at Kurewa Point has not I changed," Mr McGuigan said.' “No opinion has been expressed about the application! by South-East Air for a Chathams-Christchurch ser-

I vice. Talk of pressure is simply nonsense." The Bristol Freighter serjvice between the Chathams and the mainland had never been profitable. The decision to abandon the three-way service between Wellington, i the Chathams, and Christchurch, and substitute a simple Wellington-Chathams {service was taken on the adIvice of aircraft operators because it reduced the over- ; water distance. 1 The new service had been in effect since March, and was regarded as more , efficient, said the Minister. Conference. — The New ; Zealand Government would !be host for the CommonI wealth conference on maI terials for learning and {teaching, which would be held in Wellington from Septemi ber 22 to October 3, a Department of Education spokesman I said yesterday.—(P.A.)