Frequently asked Questions

WAITAKERE CITY COUNCIL

1. What is the role of Waitakere City Council in the consultation process?

Waitakere City Council is expected to participate by making a submission. Its submission will be analysed along with all others submitted. Waitakere City Council will have an on-going role in determining the end use of the land through the Resource Management Act.

2. Can Waitakere City Council control the process to ensure that they get an airport?

As the territorial authority, WCC determines the zoning for the land. This is primarily through the Resource Management Act and other tools such as the long term community plan.

In this process, WCC will comply with the strategies of the Auckland Regional Council and act for the benefit of the people of the city and of greater Auckland.

These aspects are described in much greater detail in the Beca Report on planning.

THE DEFENCE FORCE

3. Why is the Air Force vacating Whenuapai, can the decision be reversed and when will it go?

The NZDF’s review in 2001 found that it is unsustainable to continue with two airbases in the North Island. Cabinet and/or the Defence Force determined that the bases at Whenuapai and Ohakea would be consolidated at Ohakea. This decision, made in late 2001, is now the basis for the plans to consolidate the two bases at Ohakea.

Before Whenuapai is vacated, substantial upgrading and development works are required at Ohakea. The scope and scale of the Ohakea Consolidation project is yet to be finally determined, but it is expected to take approximately five years. This will drive the timeframe for the disposal of Whenuapai.

4. Why is the Defence Force leading the consultation?

Cabinet has instructed NZDF to lead the consultation process and report back with a recommendation on future use options in April 2004. A number of other government agencies are also working closely with NZDF in the consultation process. These include the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Economic Development.

THE DECISION PROCESS

5. How will the decision on the future use options be made?

The submissions will be analysed and the results of that analysis will be made public. Aspects that need investigation or further discussions with parties such as the Auckland Regional Council will be explored in February along with further public meetings to discuss the conclusions from the consultation exercise.

Careful consideration of all of the issues, and input from central and local government agencies will be used to draw up a report to Cabinet in March.

Cabinet will then make a decision on the preferred use.

6. The ratepayers and residents’ groups as well as individuals will be making submissions. Is there any particular weighting of the submissions?

All submissions will be reviewed equally. The focus is on establishing preferences and objectives for the future use of the land. Some statistical analysis will be prepared for the submissions but this will not drive the decision.

The commentary in the report on the submissions will note what the various organisations such as ratepayer groups and city councils have recommended.

7. Would NZDF consider leasing the infrastructure in comparison to selling it outright?

NZDF currently owns the land and expects to receive full market value for the land. Any decision to lease the land will have to be made by Cabinet.

8. What is the interest of other government agencies in the land?

To date no government agency has given notice that it wants to use the land for a specific purpose. The Ministry of Education informs us that they will require land if the preferred use will require additional schooling facilities.

The Ministry of Social Development has expressed an interest in developing the standards and design of any possible option to ensure that social and physical infrastructure is provided with any development work.

THE AIRPORT

9. Would a civilian airport need all the land? What would happen to land the company does not need?

The airport company may determine that other activities can continue on the land if it does not impact on their service.

The Crown would set terms and conditions on any land that transfers into the airport company. Any land that becomes surplus to the airport company’s requirements must be subject to the disposal provisions of the Public Works Act and any other requirements of the Crown.

10. When could a civilian operation start?

It is unlikely that a civilian operation will be able to start until military operations have ceased. The priority must remain with Defence operations, which can mean prohibiting flying for long periods in the event of handling explosives. In addition, any civilian operations must be limited to small pockets of accommodation that are sufficiently far from the defence operations to be certain that it cannot create a risk.

These factors are likely to mean that commercial operations will be infeasible until the military operations have been scaled down or removed

11. Does the current authority or designation allow for civilian or commercial operations?

It is considered that the present designation would not likely provide for the establishment of a “stand alone” civilian airport at Whenuapai. It could be possible that a civilian component to existing airbase operations could be established under the existing defence designation. The Beca report (available on the web site) on Planning Issues covers these aspects in greater detail.