AERODROME WORK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 17 November 1937, Page 10

AERODROME WORK

FACILITIES FOR AIR TRANSPORT PROVISION BY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT GROWTH OF REGULAR SERVICES ! [From Our Own Parliamentary Reporter 1 WELLINGTON. This Day. Eoloreiiiv to ihe lacililios being pi divided by liie Government to meet thi growth ol air transport was made by the Miniate' ot Public Works < the lion, U. Semple) in ins annual statement to the House During the year activities in tin side of li". I lepurlii'eiitY. operations have increased considerably, and > t scope In - been widened to carry out <r advise on ail matter, pertaining h> aerodrome laeilities and ground organisation tor air transport, the Statement proceeded. In consequence of the success ol tlm initial air transport services a greater demand for such services has arisen, and development of facilities to serve the main Hunk services has been energetically proceeded with During the year there has been a considerable lucre ise ii. passenger and air-mail Irani" East Coast Airways, whose service between Napier and Gisborne was suspended during improvements to the Gisborne Aerodrome, relumed to operation with considerably improved terminal facilities Cook Strait Airways lias extended its services from Nelson to Hokitika to connect with the existing South Westland service. Union Airways daily ex pres: passenger and mail service between Auckland and Wellington via New Plymouth has been commenced recently. All services have maintained their schedules with very com mi ndable regularity and the maximum of sa'ety. To illusU'atc the growth of regula l ' air services the following is a tabulation of passengers mails, and Weight carried for three-monthly periods from Ist January I DBG. to 80th June 1987:

During the coming year even greater increases in all classes of traffic arc to be expected, while extensions to the main trunk routes are contemplated. These extensions, as well as the development ot feeder services, will follow the establishment of the relative aerodromes and facilities and a planned programme is being pursued to this end. The development of aerodromes and emergency landing grounds has been ;concentrated primarily to svrve. the j main trunk routes, and commencement ■ made with those for the feeder services. There are now forty-nine aerodromes ; licensed for regular operation, on j twelve of which enlargement or im-

! provemcnl work is proceeding. while; 'fifteen additional Helds were nuclei- de- 1 : velopment during the year | A major undertaking has been the j investigation and planning of new : Royal New Zealand Air Force stations j and the improvement of the two exist- j ing stations at Tlobsonville and Wigwim in line with the projected expansion id I the Royal New Zealand Air Force, j Much preliminary work has been car- t ried out and maior improvements to the flying-fields and to technical and living accommodation at Mobsonv'lle , and Wigram Stations have been pro- j cecdcd with During the early part of the year de- , velopment work was proceeded with on the old basis, utilising unemployed lab- 1 our, but in July. Itt.'iti, a change-over to regular public works conditions and procedure greatly accelerated the progress of the work. On most of the important works and all the more remote fields modern construction plant has been introduced, and some works 1 arc being undertaken by contractors, after calling public tenders. Much greater value for the money expended : is now being received than has been : the case in the past A tola' of £14:!,000 was expended on aerodrome Construction from the cm- j ployment relief funds during the year.; almost all of this expenditure being j incurred during the early portion ol the year. From the Consolidated Find ; a sum of £210.000 was expended, oi which £2is.ooo was spent in the develop- J menl ol the llying-lields on Koval New Zealand Air Force stations and £a.OOO was forthcoming from the Civil Aviation vole. In addition, the Department . designed, carried out and supervised the construction «»*' buildings, services. , an-i facilities on the two existing Roy■•! j New Zealand Air Force stations, the funds for which wore made available from the Defence voles.

Quarter oncied S ! o. of •’reiehl Mali Pa; senders It) lb :n st March 1!)20 5.400 7.200 0.4!) i .''Dill .luno i:i:;o 5. OHO 8 ■100 20.000 ;iotii Kept.. 1920 4.730 ft 700 25.000 111.si Dee., 1920 0.150 12.700 22.000 :iist March. io:r 8.200 12.200 22.200 :jotii J 11 i !»::7 7.400 Hi, .700 20.800