AERODROME PROPOSAL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 60, 30 March 1943, Page 5

AERODROME PROPOSAL

THE TE TEKO SITE

COUNTY COUNCIL DISCUSSION

The opinion of Councillors generally on, the question of the proposed aerodrome site at Te Teko were fully ventillated at the meeting of the Whakatane -County Council last week when the chairman, Mr J. L. Burnett, "•'"briefly reported 1 on the confer--ence of local bodies on the ■ question and the fact that the Borough Council had yet to coasider the distance from. town, and! report back., "Most of the Borough Councillors 'Were conversant Avith the situation," •said Mr Burnett, "but I l'cel that the whole matter is. dependent ujjon - ..just what the iicav Government is prepared to take ujj.'" The establishment of aerodromes, lie Avent on, in post Avar reconstruction was p robably a thing that would reccive favourable consideration, but it avos a question of. Avhether it would he •deemed possible to proceed iioaa 7 of -await, the end of the AA'ar. The Te "Teko site Avas only tentative at pre-, sent but wherever the aerodrome •was the County Avould find its share •of the cosit. Cr McCrcady: You've only got t.o go a mile, or tAvo further and your .there. I consider it too far out. The chairman said it was a recognised thing that all aerodromes and landing fields should be built well away from toAvns or settements. Cr CaAvte thought, the site, very •central and suitable. "As a member of the original .Aerodrome Committee which Avent all round the district insjjecting suit:able jjlaees," said Cr Lux ton,. "I v want to say that in jjradically every •case AA r e found the areas too small. Now Ave will need them eA r en larger and in the Te Teko plantation Ave /can get mile runways in tAvo directions and; nearly a mile in another. I consider this Avould become a main "link in the North Island service. •I don't think there is. a better site "in the Rangitaiki basin. Cr Lux ton Avent on to say that r the Council's choice should not be limited* to one site. I'f for any rear •son Te Teko Avere turned doAvn then he suggested the sandhills north of ;thc Paper Mills. It was jjointed out that j»hc. engineer, Mr C. H. Brebner, estimated that to concrete the ruivways would cost £26,000, but this Avould be offset to a considerable extent by virtue of the. anticijjated CoA'crnment .-subsidy of jjossibly £2 or £3 to £1.