The folks who built Whangarei’s airport at its current site in Onerahi in 1939 may not have envisioned that it would need to move after less than 100 years, but that fact has been obvious to Northlanders for decades. Whangarei has lost several plane services because of our small runway. We can only handle 50-seater aeroplanes these days.

Whangarei District Council has just spent a million dollars upgrading the terminal, taxiway and carpark. This has been a stopgap solution with just a 15 year lifespan. Civil Aviation Authority rules oblige the airport to lengthen its runway. At just 1097m, it needs an extra 300 metres. Onerahi cannot provide that extra runway unless $140m is spent.

By moving the airport, will we succeed in connecting the three regions of Northland better? Let’s not forget the value that $140m spent on rail could bring us.

Auckland International Airport has become a little city by itself, so if we were to create a truly regional airport then would we be creating a new township? There are pros and cons to that. Freight, fire service, security and food outlets are all things that would need to be considered. 

Why bother?

WDC will have to make a decision before 2025. A site for a new airport at Mata, south of Whangarei, has lately been considered, but was deemed too far from central Whangarei to be viable. A site near Whangarei’s port was looked at but discounted.

One thing holding Whangarei back is Auckland’s proximity. If Auckland has a huge airport already, and they’re so close to Whangarei, popular thinking says why bother?

New airport plans continue in 2016

WDC has been spending God knows how much on the Whangarei Airport Strategic Study, a four year new airport evaluation programme.

Council is currently considering whether or not to submit the project for inclusion in the District’s Draft 2015-2025 Long Term Plan.

What did the airport assessment find?

The Whangarei District Airport Strategic Review conducted by Beca found:

Ø There is sufficient capacity in the existing single runway system to support future growth beyond 30 years.

Ø However the major issue which undermines the viability of the airport at the Onerahi location is the ability to lengthen the relatively short existing runway.

Ø A shorter less capable 1200m runway would still cost just under $140m

Ø a runway lengthening project would also require alteration to the designation of adjacent land and probably strong iwi and community objection to reclamation in the coastal marine area

Beca’s report recommended that the Council identify and secure an alternative site for future aerodrome as soon as possible. I’m not sure that a four year study will give us the answer to such an important question soon enough.