'Airline's Plans Mean Big Box Proposals won't take off'

The Paraparaumu Airport Coalition representing a wide range of Kapiti aviation and community interests says Air New Zealand's plans mean the Auckland developers' Big Box commercial development is doomed.

Air New Zealand announced at the weekend that it was evaluating proposals for some of its domestic services to use the Airport.

The Airport Coalition says the need for full aviation facilities, of a high standard, at Paraparaumu means the Auckland developers' plans for a huge industrial park -- are now obsolete.

"This means the East/West alternate sealed runway, which the developers planned to cover with Big Box developments, must now be retained and enhanced - as we have stressed all along," says Cr Alan Tristram, the Coalition Convenor.

"The Air New Zealand proposals also have huge implications for traffic - and it simply won't be feasible to have the 29,000 extra vehicles envisaged for the commercial development, as well as genuine aviation traffic created by the airline's plans," he says.

The Airport Coalition, which includes representatives of the original Maori and Pakeha landowners, says the latest news also gives the Government an incentive to step in and deal justly with their claims.

"The developers have never reached any sort of agreement with the original landowners, who have never had their land offered back to them as required by the Public Works Act," says Cr Tristram.

"The developers aided by the KCDC also came up with grandiose plans to cover Maori land in particular with a huge commercial development. This would mean the use of the land would be denied to them forever.

"Maori have always opposed this - but their representative, Mr Peter Love, of Te Ati Awa, has stressed that they will consent to proper aviaiton use of the land," he says.

Cr Tristram says the Mayor of Kapiti should now show true leadership and urge the developers to withdraw their plans from the RMA process so that genuine community consultation can take place on a proper plan for aviation facilities at Paraparaumu.

ENDS

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