Rebuild airstrip at Franz Josef, says Govt study

Press, 29 May 1985, Page 8

Rebuild airstrip at Franz Josef, says Govt study

Wellington reporter

The Franz Josef airstrip should be rebuilt, at a cost

of about $450,000, a Government report recommends. After examining the various site options, the report concluded that the airstrip work should be a joint venture between the Government and local authorities, as are most airports in New Zealand. No decision had been made yet on the report, said the Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr Prebble. It was being released for comment, especially from the affected local bodies, with any submissions needing to be with the Government by July 1.

The Government had not budgeted in the 1985-86 estimates for the Franz Josef airstrip, he said. However, should the local bodies accept the report and be prepared to find their contribution, the Govern-

ment would give “sympathetic consideration” to finding its 50 per cent share. The report said that the public airstrip at Franz Josef served the tourist industry mainly, with most flights from it being either scenic or to land on the glacier. In recent years there had been steady growth in both fixed-wing and helicopter flights from it.

These trends were expected to continue, but commercially the airstrip had shown a poor return.

The risk of destruction from flooding existed for all sites close to Franz Josef township, the report said.

In terms of this risk, the preferred site was the existing site; it was considered that the risk could be reasonably controlled, and flood protection works were necessary anyway, to protect other facilities nearby.