Wigram’s $4M runway plan on hold

Press, 29 May 1989, Page 7

Wigram’s $4M runway plan on hold

By

DAVE WILSON

A $4 million plan to replace the badly deteriorating main runway at R.N.Z.A.F. Base Wigram has been placed on\ hold because of the Armed Forces’ resource management review. Air Force heavy transport aircraft, such as. the Hercules, are now being encouraged to use Christchurch Airport rather than Wigram, in a bid to extend the useful life of the runway, which dates from World War 11.

Flying operations based at Wigram have not been affected yet, but the commanding officer of the Base Wing, Wing Commander Tony Fryer, says the old runway will not last much longer. "We are doing repairs as necessary but the existing runway won’t last much longer. It will have to be replaced, certainly within a few years.” Wing Commander Fryer says a problem is that the runway was not built as such. “It was built as a taxiway, in the days when all aircraft here operated from grass. “Over the years it has been resurfaced and maintained but it was never designed or built for the purposes required by the Air Force of to--day.” The recent Defence resources management review and the questions it raised over the future use of Defence-owned land have led to a number of capital works projects at bases being placed on hold, pending 'a formal

Government decision on the review recommendations. Although the future of Wigram has not been questioned, its two key capital works projects — the replacement runway and a new bulk fuel installation — are on hold. However, the base is in the midst of a big building improvement programme, with about $7 million spent or committed on either new structures or refurbishing war-time buildings. Support Group Headquarters, housed in the war-time-era control tower building, is being extended to provide more working space for the Flying Training Wing and Base Operations. The Wigram base commander, Group Captain David Hill, said this and other building projects under way at Wigram were the visible results of projects committed several years ago.

It was not a case of completing works before Defence spending cuts came into effect. Two new 60-person barrack buildings are nearly completed and due for occupation early next month and other recent new constructions include a crash fire and base communications centre. In addition, work is under way on the triservice Defence communications network building, with Wigram selected as the South Island centre for a network, including Wellington and Hobsonville,

needed to distribute confidential service information. Group Captain Hill said a number of the World War II vintage wooden buildings at Wigram had been extensively refurbished recently, at a significantly cheaper cost than replacing them with new

buildings. “In the last 10 years we have worked to a programme to replace or refurbish these old buildings which were not cost effective to maintain.” Wing Commander Fryer said in many cases the old war-time buildings retained sound shells, roofs

and foundations. “We have gutted these old buildings, reclad them, and put new facilities inside the structures. Because we are insulating them, we are now paying less in electricity to heat them than we were five years ago.” However, a d&nber of

base units were still housed in older style accommodation which was on the schedule for replacement. This work was waiting for financial approvals and also the outcome of the Defence resource study, he said.