City Council Annoyed At Rongotai Delay

Chronicle (Levin), 3 February 1948, Page 3

City Council Annoyed At Rongotai Delay

W • WELLINGTON, Feb. 2. Dissatisfaction at the continued delay of the Government in announeing its deeision on Rongotai as a airport, was voiced at a meeting of the Wellington City Council finance conimittee. The airport eominittee was instructed to bring down a report on what, form future action should take and the report is to be furnished to the council at its full uieefing next weelc. The Mayor, Mr. W. Appleton, said the people were becomiug very restive at the delay. The matter was vital in the transport system of the Dominion. The Mayor drew attention to the absurdity of wasting tiiousauds of gallons of petrol in transport to and in from Paraparaumu. Eecently, he said, ho had been on holiday in the district and had seen a Nelson plane arrive oue raorning with oue passenger and the next with two. A motor vehiele had made its trip to Wellington from the aerodrome with one jjassenger. Lettera had been received from all parts of the Dominion complaining that the council was inactive. He had instructed the Town Clerk to write to the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, pressing for the Government 's deeision. The Town Clerk 's letter, dated January 26, drew the attention of the Prime Minister to the intention of the eouncil to discuss the aerodrome as a most urgent item on the agenda for its meeting today. It asked that the Government attitude be made known to the council 'before the meeting if . possible. Mr. Fraser replied that the question would receive the attention of Cabinet as early as possible. "I cannot undertake that the Government ;s deeision iu regard to amended proposals will be intimated to the eouncil by the date you mention, " Mr. Fraser 's letter said. "The matter is one of national as well as of logical .importance and the deeision will afi'ect tnany people, particul'arly those who are living in the vicinity of where new runways niav be constructed. The Minister of Works and Minister of Civil Aviation are giving their close attention to the matter which mnst be discussed fully with Cabinet. Expert opinions which have been furnished niust be carefully weighed and the effect on the future .of aviation and upon everyone concerned, must be considered. There will be no unnecessary delay but the Government must talce such" adequate time to consider the proposals as may be neeessary." ' ' The Government has been eonsidering the matter for 10 years," said the Mayor. ' ' There have been three reports by experts. So far as I know the first iias never seen the light of dav and to my knowledge the latest report Iias been before Cabinet for many weeks. It all comes down to the bogy of . displaced housing. In the first step proposed about 50 houses would be affected. Not a single house would be touched for two years. The first thiug to be done is to relocate Eongotai College. Paraparaumu can never be a proper airport for Wellington. Before the airport was shifted Wellington looked after nearly half of the air traftic of the Dominion. What has been lost since will come as a shock when the figures are released. " Councillor Macalister said: "The only new thing that has arisen is that Paraparaumu has proved a wash-out. Thousands of pounds are being lost weekly by its use just beeause of the failure of the Government to face up to a deeision. The Government is suffering from mental paralysis. " Cr. M. S. Galloway said 146,000 gallons of petrol a year were being wasted on transport. ' Cr. E. E. Troop agreed with the suggestion made o by the JMayor that a meeting should. be held in Wellington at which those interested, from all parts of th*e Dominion, should attend. There was some responsibility for the delay on loeal menibers of Parliament on both sides of the House. They were not showing the interest they should. "The Government has been discussing 10-year plans but here is a plan on which its deeision has been awaiti 1 10 years," Cr. Toop added. '^There is no secret that nien in responsible positions favour Eongotai but the Government, for some reason, will not give a deeision. ' ' Cr. C. A. L. Treadwell said he eould not think that the Prime Minister 7 meant that the case for a national airport could be influenced by a few people whose liomes might be affected. The people could be left in the houses as they were moved and they would go to better sites.