Waitakere City Council Presentation to the Auckland Regional Growth Forum on the Future of Whenuapai the Importance of Whenuapai Airport to Waitakere City
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Waitakere City Council Presentation to the Auckland Regional Growth Forum on the Future of Whenuapai The Importance of Whenuapai Airport to Waitakere City • Civil use of Whenuapai is now Waitakere City’s most important long term development issue – Economic benefits – Transport benefits – City benefits • Live – Work – Play – “Plan B” is a lot worse What Are The Alternatives? • Ongoing use as an Airport • A Public Work • Rural Residential Sites • Waitakere City Council has rights under section 50 of the Public Works Act – The real alternatives are a public work and/or an Airport Whenuapai Area Direct Economic Impact • Defence closure – NZIER calculation (unchallenged) • $250m annual loss to Auckland’s northwest sector • $230m loss to Waitakere City. – 1647 jobs will be lost. 826 families – 2.3% of Waitakere’s GDP – 135% of Council’s total budget • Civil Airport by far the best replacement – BERL analysis – Other concepts are pie in the sky Indirect Economic Impact Auckland Region People Capacity 2050 • North-West Auckland is 70 60 New Zealand’s fastest 50 40 growing population 30 20 10 0 Northern Growth Auckland City Southern Zone Index Region Auckland 2001 = 100 Zone Population 2001 Population Capacity 2050 • 60% of Waitakere Auckland Region People Patterns 2001 and 50% North 60 Shore workers 50 40 leave daily for work 30 20 10 % of Region of Total % 0 Northern Zone Auckland City Southern Zone Population Employment Why Waitakere Wants Whenuapai Developed As A Civil Airport • Economic 9 Local Job Creation 9 Economic Stimulation 9 Supports the development of planned employment areas • Transport 9 Reduced road congestion. $341million gain / no cost 9 More efficent use of exisiting network 9 Improved airport access for >50% Aucklanders 9 Local employment = less travel "Travel time is worth a week's holiday every two months," said Alasdair Thompson, EMA's chief executive. It's costing us all over $4 billion a year. "At the average pay rate of $19.41 an hour, the time spent getting to and from work is worth $11 million a day, $55 million a week, or over $2.7 billion a year. "On top of the opportunity time lost, Auckland's motorists use some 1100 million litres of petrol and 500 million litres of diesel a year. These add a further $1.45 billion to transport costs. "They're the sort of costs that can be reduced to everyone's advantage. Any reductions go straight into all our bank accounts.” Auckland Central Airport Auckland Central Airport • The first hurdle is for the Crown to support retention of the Airport • There will still be many subsequent hurdles – Waitakere has partnered with Infratil • Recognition that this requires private capital/expertise – Preliminary analysis favourable • engineering/financial/consenting/approvals Government Policy Framework • NZDF Discussion Paper Criteria – Compatibility with Government Strategies • Transport • Sustainable Cities • Waitakere proposal completely compatible – Retention of the airport and development of the Whenuapai site is in accordance with ALL relevant Government policies Whenuapai’s Impact on AIAL Ope rating Pro fit pe r Pas s e ng e r 7.00 6.00 5.00 4.00 3.00 2.00 1.00 - • AIAL is one of the world’s most profitable airports. AIAL calculates that it will lose 4% of its traffic to Whenuapai by 2020 AIAL All The Airport Auckland Needs? • AIAL is a triumph of long term planning and good management • Its additional capacity is not free – $400 million aeronautical capital spending 2004 –2009 • “All roads lead to Mangere” is also expensive Site Alternative Uses • Has the site a higher value if used as other than an airport? • Large land-block sales around Auckland give a value of $25,000 to $150,000 per hectare • Land around an airport will be worth more Would Waitakere City re-zone the site ? The RMA hurdle • RMA is a hurdle, but not insurmountable • AIAL estimated that by 2020, if Whenuapai’s activity is the same as now then 603 people will be annoyed – 1,000,000 will then live in north and west Auckland • The Crown has no opportunity cost Public Opinion 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Support No opinion Opposed Lets Get Real • Only logical outcome under the PWA disposal process • Only logical choice as it will never be replaced • Supports Regional Growth Strategy • Creates and stimulates local employment • Traffic benefits • No cost to ratepayer or taxpayer • Tourism benefits • Susports sustainabale development programme of action • Supports exisiting transport investment • Supports Govenment’s transport package for Auckland • Mitigates impact for NZDF relocation • Provides competition to existing monopoly operator • More convenient to half of Auckland’s population • Best environmental outcome for the region • Provides choice • Already exists .