A better airport at Apia

Press, 16 December 1985, Page 12

A better airport at Apia

The extension to the runway at the international airport in Apia, Western Samoa, will accommodate long-range, wide-bodied aircraft. This must be an advantage to Western Samoa’s tourist trade and should enable Western Samoa to increase its exports of perishable agricultural goods. These developments are important in an island community that was the first South Pacific country to become fully independent, but which has not, in almost 24 years since independence, achieved economic self-sufficiency. The extension of the runway and the improvement of the airport facilities generally were funded by a SUS 4 million loan from the Asian Development Bank, SUS2 million from the International Development Association, and help from New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand’s contribution amounted to about $2.5 million.

Mr Lange, the New Zealand Prime Minister, who made a brief visit to Apia for the opening ceremony of the airport runway extension, also said that the bigger runway would serve the wider interests of the region. At the time of the ceremony an Orion aircraft from the Royal New Zealand Air Force and two Fills from the Royal Australian Air Force were there. The Fills had gone especially for the ceremony; the Orion was at Apia because of a previously arranged surveillance mission. However, most fishing surveillance which has been done by New Zealand has used either Fiji or the Cook Islands as a base. The extended runway will enable the Orion to be based closer to the area of surveillance.

Mr Lange said that Western Samoa was entitled to such surveillance. Like many of its South Pacific neighbours, Western Samoa is a country with few land resources, but which has

a huge area of ocean within its Exclusive Economic Zone. It does not have the capability to ensure that only those countries entitled to fish in the area are in fact doing so. The R.N.Z.A.F. makes regular flights to the area to carry out surveillance. This would seem to be an appropriate way in which New Zealand can help a neighbour with which it has had a long and close association. New Zealand aircraft also carry out surveillance missions in the South Pacific for military purposes. These are for New Zealand’s own information though it would usually advise other Governments in the area of any unusual movements of foreign ships. The Government is in the process of working out a new defence role for itself in the South Pacific because military exercises are no longer held with the United States and military Intelligence from the United States has been curtailed. However, the South Pacific has become a region of increasing interest: to the major nuclear Powers since New Zealand broke with its partners in the A.N.Z.U.S. defence alliance. The small Pacific countries that had depended on New Zealand to secure their defence arrangements are embarrassed to find that New Zealand’s contemptuous attitude towards A.N.Z.U.S. has left them isolated. Moves are afoot among island territories to establish their own closer relations with the United States and Australia since New Zealand has rejected its responsibilities through A.N.Z.U.S. For historical reasons, New Zealand forces are still welcome in the region; they will be much more welcome if this country finally decides to restore a credible and effective defence arrangement with the former allies on which it has depended.