FACILITIES AT AIRPORT

Southland Times, Issue 25545, 13 December 1944, Page 4

FACILITIES AT AIRPORT

Steps Taken By City Council PURCHASIfOF HANGAR It is possible that hangar and annexe accommodation will be provided at the Invercargill airport by the City Council in the near future.

At the meeting of the council last night the town clerk, Mr W. F. Sturman, was authorized to get in touch with the War Assets Realization Board with a view to purchasing the necessary buildings from one of the air stations in the Dominion which are being closed down.

A report on the provision of facilities at the air port was submitted by Mr Sturman, who said that when he was in Wellington recently he conferred with the officers of the Civil Aviation Department and with the engineer of the Public Works Department who was concerned with the construction of airfields. The policy for the operation of civil aerodromes after the war had not been decided upon, although it was ■ probable that control of the Invercargill aerodrome would again be handed over to the council. It was possible, however, that the Government might service airfields (other than the provision of buildings) and it was a policy measure whether landing fees would be charged at all. PROVISION OF HANGAR

Discussing the provision of hangar and office accommodation, Mr Sturman said that one method would be to require users to provide their own accommodation to an approved plan, but while this system would relieve the council of financial responsibility it would result in the erection of a number of separate He understood that the council could provide adequate hangar accommodation with annexe provision for offices at a cost of about £12,000, but it was possible that a considerable saving could be made by purchasing buildings from an air station which was being closed down. While he was in Wellington he had learned of a building at a certain airport which would be quite suitable. The council would, of course, charge users for the accommodation provided and if the whole of the space were not used for planes it should have considerable letting value for storage purposes. He had been informed that authorities which had provided hangar accommodation had found the undertaking financially successful. The position of the Aero Club would depend very considerably on the council’s decision in the provision of accommodation. The club would probably want a social room in addition to hangar accommodation, and no doubt the council would allot a site for this. All buildings and their allocation had to be approved by the Civil Aviation Department. TRANS-TASMAN TERMINAL

Cr J. Pickard said he thought that the council should go ahead on the lines of the town clerk’s suggestion for the purchase of the necessary buildings. The people of Invercargill were looking to the council to do something in this matter. Palmerston North was making every effort to be made a terminal for the trans-Tasman service and Invercargill would not have a chance against Palmerston North unless it made provision for the equipment of its aerodrome. . ~ .. The Mayor, Mr A. Wachner, said the council was fully alive to the position of the airport.