Big bill when airport dries

Press, 3 February 1984, Page 3

Big bill when airport dries

From

KEN COATES

in Invercargill

Invercargill’s airport, which is still virtually a lake, will not be in full use for at least six weeks.

Three airport officials, including the regional director of airways operations from Christchurch, Mr John Best, yesterday paddled a dinghy up to the foot of the stairs in the control tower building. They found navigation, communication, and meteorological equipment all still under water. All will have to be replaced, at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars. One of the navigational aids cost $150,000 about five years ago.

The level of the water covering most of the airport has dropped to the 1978 flood level and is still up to a metre deep in places. But about a third of the runway is now dry. Once it is free of floodwaters engineers will have to make safety checks before limited flying could begin.

Depending on aircraft availability, Air New Zealand could begin limited daylight Friendship flights once the runway is cleared for flying.

“There must be no half measures. The rescue fire service units will have to be completely dismantled and re-assembled, as water was up to the roof of the watchroom station house,” said the fire service chief, Mr David Edginton. The inspection party reported the condition of most of the 11 aircraft caught in the flood as being “in a sorry state.” One, a Britten-Norman Islander owned by a New Caledonian family, is on higher ground and only halfsubmerged, but the rest are

in hangars.

Three Southland Aero Club light planes, topdressing aircraft, and privately owned planes are all likely to be write-offs because of corrosion through immersion.

Damage caused by the big Southland flood is likely to be well above the previous estimate of $3O million. Insurance assessors have reported that several houses are not worth rebuilding and will have to be demolished.

The big clean-up began in earnest yesterday as Civil Defence officials removed the ban on people entering their homes.

Only six badly flooded houses in Airport Avenue are still cordoned off. But the state of emergency has been extended for seven days. Although the sewage system is repaired and fully working, flood victims are being warned that flood water is still contaminated and they should not take children or pets into the Collingwood, Grasmere, or Waikiwi areas. Householders are advised to wear gloves, to cover cuts immediately, and to use disinfectant supplied. A warning has also been issued against stray drums of dangerous chemicals. Civil defence has organised a dumping service for dead stock and rotten food from deep freeze units.

The National Roads Board had advanced $1.42 million to help repair flooddamaged roads and bridges in Southland, said the Minister of Works, Mr Friedlander, yesterday, reported the Press Association. The funds were an advance on subsidy money. They would be credit

against actual costs when they were finally determined and the subsidy rate fixed by the board, he said.

Bluff Borough will receive $20,000, Invercargill City $150,000, Southland County $500,000, and Wallace County, $750,000. The national Southland Relief Fund for flood victims had reached $235,857 by early yesterday. The national total is being coordinated by the Bank of New Zealand.

People wanting to give to the Southland floods appeal will be able to make their gift through the Post Office. A Post Office spokeswoman said yesterday all its 1200 branches would be receiving agents for donations. People offering $5 or more-would be given a receipt on request. The Westpac Banking Corporation announced yesterday that it had given $50,000 to the appeal. Staff at the Addington railway workshops in Christchurch yesterday collected $5OO for the relief fund.

A $14,000 grant has been made by the national body of the Presbyterian Social Services.

The national publicity officer, Ms Linda Constable, said yesterday that all seven regions of the social services had agreed to offer money and support to help the worst-affected flood victims.

Many flood victims who had suffered personal loss would need counselling and support as well as money, Ms Constable said.

“The trauma and disruption to people’s lives caused by a disaster of this magnitude cannot be resolved by money alone,” she said.