Bill Dalton

I hear on the radio this morning that Murray Douglas from the Chamber of Commerce is calling for us to extend the Hawke’s Bay Airport runway with all speed.  The reason given – that part of the Pacific Blue airline, might be looking to extend their services to new airports.

Time and time again, since I became a Napier City Councillor, I have asked for someone, or anyone, to present to me a compelling business plan, for the extension to the runway.  No one has even bothered to try and convince me.  The best I have had is to be told that a previous City Council voted for it because it future proofed our airport.

If an extended runway becomes necessary in the future, why don’t we do the work then.  Why aren’t we putting a proposal to airlines – getting a commitment from them – and then building to meet a need.

The extension to the runway at Hawke’s Bay airport is going to cost somewhere around 10-12 million dollars.  That of course just allows bigger planes to land, it does not give us an airport with international capabilities.  For that you need to completely fence the entire area to internationally accepted standards, you need to put in full customs facilities including x ray machines etc., you need to build facilities for immigration and the police – the list goes on.

I would guess that the infrastructure facilities would cost another 10-12 million dollars.

Again I stress, I am not coming down hard and fast against the extension to the runway.  What I am saying is that I have very real reservations about spending up to $20 million and incurring debt to do so, to extend a runway at one of the most difficult times experienced in an economic sense – for a runway that just might be needed in the future.

Frankly, I believe Air New Zealand provides a fantastic service in to Napier especially in terms of frequency.

What I need is someone to convince me that our air services will improve and an extended runway will be an economic benefit to Hawke’s Bay rather than an economic burden like extended runways have been in other provincial cities. 

I’m still waiting.