REBLOG Genius Net: No Public Funding For Runway White Elephant Please

The debate over whether or not public money should be invested in the extension of Wellington International Airport’s (WIAL) runway is starting to heat up. Despite project studies only being released to the public this week, city councils across the region have already indicated they will provide financial support towards the $330 million cost. AtContinueContinue reading “REBLOG Genius Net: No Public Funding For Runway White Elephant Please”

REBLOG Croaking Cassandra: What if they build it and no one comes?

A throwaway line of mine a couple of weeks ago about the Wellington City Council’s enthusiasm for the proposed airport runway extension prompted a couple of comments here from Tim Brown, chair of Wellington International Airport Limited (WIAL) –  owned 66 per cent by Infratil and 34 per cent by the Wellington City Council.  AsContinueContinue reading “REBLOG Croaking Cassandra: What if they build it and no one comes?”

SOME REAL FACTS ABOUT THE AIRPORT EXTENSION

This week, we hoped that TV One News would give us the chance to provide some counter to the big bunch of spin all over the Dom Post recently. That was unfortunately not the case. The pilots, airline association and Steven Joyce have now all come out with serious doubts and concerns following the airport’sContinueContinue reading “SOME REAL FACTS ABOUT THE AIRPORT EXTENSION”

REBLOG: Strathmore Park: Infratil getting testy over Wellington airport extension questions

Infratil are getting increasingly testy over the questions now being asked by many around the viability of the Wellington Airport Extension and the perception of a corporate handout. In an post on David Farrar’s Kiwiblog, they level their guns at David Lee and Cameron Slater of WhaleOil. In Sense from a Green Councillor, David Farrar questionsContinueContinue reading “REBLOG: Strathmore Park: Infratil getting testy over Wellington airport extension questions”

OPINION David Lee: Wellington runway extension or runaway costs?

OPINION: As Wellington International Airport Limited (WIAL) prepares to lodge its application for resource consent for a runway extension, it’s important Wellingtonians are aware of the full facts – because, if the scheme goes ahead, a vast amount of ratepayers’ money will be pouring into it. The plan has its supporters. Wellington City Council (WCC)ContinueContinue reading “OPINION David Lee: Wellington runway extension or runaway costs?”

NEWS: Wellington airport’s safety disputed in runway extension case

Safety at Wellington airport is in dispute with the director of Civil Aviation saying it is safe and the pilots’ union saying the risk of an overrun or undershoot is significant. The airport company wants to extend the length of the runway and Civil Aviation director Graeme Harris has accepted, for now at least, thatContinueContinue reading “NEWS: Wellington airport’s safety disputed in runway extension case”

NEWS: Pilots challenge safety zones for Wellington Airport’s proposed runway extension

The cost of Wellington Airport’s $300 million runway extension will double if the larger safety zones that pilots want are included in the design, a judge has been told. At the High Court in Wellington on Monday, the New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association – the union that represents pilots – argued the proposed extension should includeContinueContinue reading “NEWS: Pilots challenge safety zones for Wellington Airport’s proposed runway extension”

NEWS: Pilots take runway battle to High Court

A plane is 29 times more likely to overshoot the runway at Wellington Airport than at Auckland, the High Court in Wellington has been told. A plane lands at Wellington Airport earlier in 2015. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson The New Zealand Airline Pilots’ Association has gone to court asking for long safety margins atContinueContinue reading “NEWS: Pilots take runway battle to High Court”

RE-BLOG Strathmore Park: Swampy Marsh enters the Airport Extension debate and suffers an ironic injury

Simon Marsh launched into David Lee this morning in an Op Ed in the Dominion Post about the airport extension. He accused his colleague of shooting himself in the foot. In a scene that reminded me of Yosemite Sam hunting Porky Pig, Swampy waved his guns around and managed to shoot himself in the foot. AContinueContinue reading “RE-BLOG Strathmore Park: Swampy Marsh enters the Airport Extension debate and suffers an ironic injury”

MEDIA RELEASE: Runway extension undermined by economic and sea level rise factors

News that Wellington Airport (WIAL) will shortly release a business case on the proposed airport runway extension is to be welcomed as a step to greater transparency. But how much transparency will it actually deliver? The tired mantra of ‘300 metres for $300 million’ has been around for a long time now, while plans haveContinueContinue reading “MEDIA RELEASE: Runway extension undermined by economic and sea level rise factors”