AIRPORT FOR AUCKLAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1081, 19 September 1930, Page 1

AIRPORT FOR AUCKLAND

Use Of City Council Lands

POLLEN’S POINT PROPOSAL Economy Stressed By Promoters A SAVING to Auckland of many thousands of pounds by the use of properties under control of the City Council for the purposes of an air port is outlined by Mr. David B. Russell on behalf of the Auckland Development Association. It is estimated that if Pollen's Point site at Avondale be decided upon, an area of 150 acres or more, can be prepared ready for building work at a cost of not more than £6,000.

According to the statement of the chairman of the Works Committee of the Ciiy Council, Mr. J. Dempsey, tho council is agreeable to pay 53 per cent, of the cost of a £50,000 airport, Mr. Russell told The Sun this morning. This amount would be approximately £26,500. “Therefore,” ho said, “taking into consideration the fact that when the City Council brought Avondale into j its fold, the ownership of Pollen’s i Point reverted to tho city, and also the fact that the 25-aere reserve alongside Pollen’s- Island is educational endowment land that also can be acquired by the council, an airport at Pollen’s Point would not cost Auckland anything.” He pointed out that the £26,500 which the City Council was willing to spend would more than cover the whole project that the Development Association has in mind. , “At our last meeting we explained this thoroughly to the Mayor, Mr. G. Balldon, and the city engineer, Mr. J. Tyler,” said Mr. RusSell. “NO AXE TO GRIND” “We have no axe to grind. Neither the Auckland Development Association nor myself personally has lands to sell or to be improved at Pollen’s Island, but we do wish to help the City Council and Auckland generally to secure the best site —the site that! is within the shortest possible dis- j tance from the heart of the city, with splendid roads of concrete and bitumen right to the point—a site that is landlocked, well sheltered from all . winds, and having in its vicinity the deepest water in the Waitemala Harbour. “Clearly no individual will benefit from a proposal in which the only expenditure required is that on improvement work. “By taking up this project, the City Council will save a tremendous sum—the sum that would be required to purchase any other property.’ COSTS OF WORK After a thorough investigation of all tides, Messrs. Russell and E. Henshall, who have been associated in preparing the Pollen’s Point airport site plans published in today’s Sun, have submitted an estimate of costs: Cost of property Nil. Levelling and stopbanking .. £6,000 ] According to Mr. Russell, this would i bo the total cost of preparing the j actual airport site ready for buildings. At present, Rosebank Road, which leads from the Great North Road to Pollen's Island, is surfaced with bitumen to Robertson’s Corner, which is only a mile and a-half from Pollen’s Island. The cost of continuing the bitumen, thus completing an excellent road from the city to the airport, would be £7,000. In addition, the cutting and filling

of the continuation of Rosebank Road to connect with the island would cost £1,400. One of the particularly attractive features of the Pollen’s Island scheme is the availability of a suitable area for recreation grounds adjacent to the airport. ADVANTAGE TO MOTORISTS The formation of cricket and football grounds, if carried out in conjunction with the airport levelling wor, would cost only £4OO. Cutting and filling of the Domain would cost £1,700, a grandstand would cost £ 2,000, and the surfacing of Park Avenue leading to the grounds would cost £ 5,000. These figures, says Mr. Russell, are compiled on generous lines. Possibly the Council could carry out tho reading work much more cheaply. On the Other hand it might prefer to abandon the recreation-ground scheme and its accompanying roading; although, in this connection, it was important that the council should uot lose sight of the usefulness of the recreation ground as a camping and parking site for motorists during tho summer months —a facility which would fill a want long- felt by the Auckland Automobile Association. Other attractive features of tho Pollen's Point proposal as outlined by Mr. Russell are: M) The airport would be seven miles from the City by road, and six by water: <2) It would be ideal for seaplanes as well as land planes: (3) Electric light and power would be available close at hand: (4) 350 men could be employed on the necessary works.