RONGOTAI: URGENCY OF WORK STRESSED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22971, 14 June 1949, Page 6

RONGOTAI: URGENCY OF WORK STRESSED

THE Government has at last reached the stage where the Ministry

of Works and the local bodies concerned can consider the reclamation, house clearance and roading problems associated with the reconstruction of Rongotai airport. This is an important advance but it is long overdue. Rongotai was closed to passenger aircraft in September, 1947, because of its unsuitability for modern airways services. For a long time it had been a nightmare for pilots, but they were lucky. For years major improvements had been under discussion and a start was made to cut down Moa Point to facilitate the approach from the sea, but the war intervened and plans were put into cold storage. During the war experiments were made operating a Lodestar aircraft out of Rongotai. The comment of the test crew, accustomed to wartime risks, was that it was a “sporting venture.” Early in November, 1947, it was stated that an expert committee on national aerodrome requirements had prepared for the Government a report on Rongotai, complete but for a technical statement and the estimates “for the proposed scheme.” The Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, in February, 1945, when pressed for action by the Wellington City Council, said there would be no unnecessary delay, to which the Mayor, Mr. Appleton, replied- that the Government had already been considering the question for about 10 years. The magnitude of the work, admittedly, makes for caution, but the need for urgency is emphasised by the fact that even when decisions are made and plaiis drawn the job may take up to five or six years to complete. The removal of Rongotai College and several hundred houses have been a stumbling block. The first step will be the relocating of the college, followed by clearing away the old exhibition buildings. Not a single house is likely to be touched for two years after the start of the work, by which time building difficulties will probably have eased considerably. Not only are the existing alternative airfield arrangements inadequate to the needs of the capital city, but they are reported to be delaying the development of internal air services in New Zealand as a whole. Gisborne, which depends so much on communications, is also affected. With the use of Paraparauinu a person travelling between Gisborne and Wellington spends almost as much time journeying by car to and from airports as lie does in the air. Paraparaurau, built during the war as an emergency landing ground, must despite recent improvements always be regarded as a poor alternative to Rongotai’s capabilities. It is hoped that work will he commenced as speedily as possible.