AIRPORT SITE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22846, 29 September 1937, Page 14

AIRPORT SITE

INSPECTION OP ABEAS

GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

LOCAL BODIES' VITAL CONCERN

A number of sites which have been suggested ns suitable for the establishment of Auckland's chief commercial aerodrome were inspected yesterday afternoon by members of the Government committee appointed by the Minister of Defence, the Hon, F. Jones. The tour followed a conference yesterday morning when the members of the committee met the members of the finance committee of the Auckland City Council in the Mayor's room at the Town Hall. The Government committee comprises Mr. J. Wood, engineer-in-chief of the Public Works Department, who is chairman, Group-Captain the Hon. R. A. Cochrane, Wing-Com-mander T. M. Wilkes, and SquadronLeader E. A. Gibson, engineer in charge of aerodromes.

In 'addition to the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis, and members of the Finance Committee, there were present the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board, the Hon. T. Blood worth, M.L.C., the Harbour Board superintendent, Mr. D. Holderness, the town clerk, Mr. J. Melling, and the city engineer, Mr. J. Tyler. It was gratifying that the services of such experts should be made available for the purpose of analysing the position as it affected Auckland, said the Mayor in welcoming the committee. He felt that the move taken by the Government would be the means of bringing finality to an issue which had been somewhat long-standing. He emphasised that there could be no element of conflict between the City Council and the Harbour Board, as both bodies were vitally concerned to see that the site selected for the Auckland aerodrome was one which would meet requirements in every possible direction. There was an informal exchange of viewpoints, after which the meeting terminated to enable the members or the Government committee to inspect the land, tidal and harbour sites which from time to time have been brought under review. No further conferences with the local. bodies will be necessary and the committee upon completion of its inquiries will return to Wellington, possibly to-niorrow, to prepare a report for submission to the Government and to the Auckland City Council. USE OF TIDAL FLATS HARBOUR BOARD INTEREST A report on the proposal that a site for an Auckland aerodrome and air base might be found on some of the shallow tidal lands of the Waitemata or Manukau Harbours was presented to the Auckland Harbour Board at a meeting of the board in committee yesterday morning by the chairman, the Hon. T. Bloodworth, M.L.C. He said that the superintendent. Mr. D. Holderness. had not been able in the time available to submit any report on this matter and felt that he would not be able to report in detail until a site or sites had actually been selected. Mr. Bloodworth suggested that he and Mr. Holderness should be authorised to attend the conference with the Government committee, when he proposed to place this aspect of the matter before the conference with _ a view to ascertaining if there was a site in either the Manukau or Waitemata Harbours. If it were found that a suitable site was available the superintendent. could then go into the matter of the cost of reclamation, and so on. The board authorised the chairman and superintendent to attend the conference on those terms.