Govt calls for airport shares
The Government has demanded its $4.4 million half-share in the cash reserves of Christchurch Airport. A letter was received by the City Council last week, asking that the amount of reserves be confirmed within two or three days and a cheque for the Government’s share sent by March 15. The demand follows the passage of the Airport Authorities Amendment Act just before Christmas, which allows the partners in joint-venture airports to withdraw their shares of reserves.
Most of the country’s airports, including the international airports at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, are joint ventures between the Government and their respective local bodies.
Letters demanding the Government’s share of reserves were being sent to all the airports, said a spokesman for the Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr Prebble. The demand did not come as a total surprise, said the Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay. “It was quite clear that the Government felt it ought to be extracting the half-share of reserves from airport authorities, when this whole subject was raised. “Obviously it was a dominant factor in the legislation,” he said. The City Council had not replied to the letter, but would consider it at a special meeting next Monday, called originally to consider other aspects of airport management. The Christchurch City
Council would co-operate closely with the Auckland Regional Authority in fighting the demand, said Sir Hamish. The A.R.A. has been asked for $43 million, but has offered the Government only $5.2 million and said it would take the matter to the High Court. The legislation also provided for airports to be run by companies, which the letter suggested would give more opportunity for raising finance. However, Sir Hamish said that Christchurch Airport was in the middle of a redevelopment programme that would have to be funded by loans “if we’re going to be deprived of four or five million dollars.” “The cold hard fact is we need every penny we’ve got.”
Govt calls for airport shares
Press, 21 January 1987, Page 5
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in