THE AIRPORT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 60, 12 March 1937, Page 9

THE AIRPORT

IMPROVING RONGOTAI

HELP FROM GOVERNMENT?

MODIFIED SCHEME

Following the ratepayers' rejection of the major scheme, modified proposals for the improvement of Rongotai airport were outlined by the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) at a meeting of the City Council last- evening. The Council, said the Mayor, was at present .straining its resources in building a hangar, and he suggested that the Government should bear the cost of the extension of the runway for 200 yards, at an estimated cost of £50,000. Later, the council could ask the ratepayers to sanction the completion of the full scheme.

Since the loan 'proposal had been defeated, the Mayor said he felt that the council should make every possible endeavour to see whether it could get assistance from the Government to do some work to improve the aerodrome. Before the large scheme involving the expenditure of £140,000 was decided upon he had discussed the matter with the Government, and had put forward proposals for a smaller scheme that would meet immediate requirements and requirements for some little time to come, but the Government was of the opinion that it was desirable to develop the whole scheme involved in the £140,000, and was prepared to contribute £70,000.

There was no question, said the I Mayor, that the whole major scheme was better than the half scheme, but since the major scheme had been defeated, he .had decided to discuss the matter with the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) to see whether the Government would assist the council in developing Rongotai. Up to the present he had been unable to see the Minister, but hoped to interview him before March 22. SOUTH-EAST RUNWAY. For an expenditure of approximately £50,000 the council would be able to develop Rongotai so as to get an additional runway, in a south-easterly direction, of 200 yards.- That would involve a trifling reclamation, and the work would extend on a narrower strip than was provided for by the major scheme. If the council could get the Government to put up the money towards that smaller extension, then the extra 200 yards runway could be provided, and that would be an immediate improvement to Rongotai as it stood today. Mr. Hislop said he was suggesting that the Government be asked for th«i whole of the money as at the present moment the council was straining its resources to put up the hangar for the new service which Union Airways were shortly starting from Auckland. The hangar had to be built to accommodate the new service. He thought it would be quite a good thing for the Government to come in for the extension to the aerodrome giving the extra 200 yards runway as it would not be money wasted, because ultimately the council would have to go on with the full scheme, and the Governments amount would only go to the ultimate extension. If what he suggested w.ere done, the main risk at Rongotai would be freed—he did not like to talk about risks, but there were risks at Rongotai. He hoped to discuss the matter with the Minister and report back to the council. SUBSIDY FOR WORK. Councillor R. McKeen, M.P., said he thought that the Government would probably be agreeable to subsidise certain works which the council could not undertake out of revenue. A subsidy of £2 10s or £3 a man would help, and would absorb men. _ The Mayor said the engineer should get out a schedule of immediate works, and that matter could be discussed when he interviewed the Minister about Rongotai. The City Engineer (Mr. K. E. Luke) said it would have taken about three years to complete the major sclieme, and it would take 18 months to complete the modified scheme. Councillor P. M. Butler said theidea of approaching the Government for money was not attractive after the ratepayers had turned the loan proposal down. - The Mayor said that the Government had been prepared to find half _the cost of the full scheme. If the Government would contribute £50,000. while the council strained its resources to build the hangar, then ultimately they could ask the ratepayers to sanction the whole sclieme. Councillor M. F. Luckie: If you are going to the ratepayers again the time would be at the next municipal elections (next year), and the people who want to see it done and who are too lazy to vote will see that it is done.