Wellington Plans New Civic Airport

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 484, 13 October 1928, Page 11

Wellington Plans New Civic Airport

LYALL BAY SELECTED GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE (From Our Resident Reporter.) W ELLINGTON, Friday. The use of about 50 acres of the Lyall Bay Reserve eastward of the ftonotai Avenue is to be granted to the recently formed Wellington Aero Club, and the Government will be asked to assist in financing the project. The Mayor, Mr. G. A. Troup, explained at a special meeting of the City Council yesterday, that the work necessary to convert the area would cost something like £ 20.000. They had nought to obtain authority for raising the money by a clause in the ‘ washingup bill,” but that had not been managed by the Government. Cr. G. Mitchell: So we arc at a 4ead end—-if the Government does not give its consent? The Mayor: We are at our wits’ end as far as-the money is concerned. Cr. C. D. Morpeth: Might 1 ask what revenue is likely to be derived from the airport? Is there a revenue likely to be gained that would justify the raising of this £20,000? The Mayor: It is utterly impossible to say what it will be. So far no port of the kind has been established in New Zealand, so that there is no precedent as to what the possible revenue might be. Cr. G. Mitchell pointed out that the Air Force was going to be the chief ri'cana of defence in the near future, and Lyall Bay was the only possible Yflaco in the city. In his opinion the government should be called upon to <jontribute half the money. If the deface requirements were stressed he could not see how the Gifvernment ,» 4 >uki reasonably refuse to share the The motion to set aside the ground carried unanimously, and it was Meo agreed that a deputation of the council and the Aero Club wait upon Prim® Minister and Minister of Sebence at the earliset possible date.