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A complaint to the Commerce Commission against the Auckland International Airport for funding an anti-Whenuapai group has been dismissed.
The complaint of unfair competitive behaviour was made by the North West Auckland Airport group - a company set up to promote a commercial airport at Whenuapai.
North West Auckland Airport is made up of Wellington Airport owner Infratil, Waitakere City, North Shore City and the Rodney District councils.
It lodged the complaint after learning that Auckland International Airport had provided $19,000 to the Whenuapai Airport Action Group to set up as an incorporated society and for advertising.
Infratil executive officer Tim Brown said the complaint was very technical and the company would not pursue it further.
"There's no point in banging your head against a brick wall. Our lawyers were of the view that it was something of a long shot but it was worth asking the question," Brown said.
Waitakere City Council last week lodged a complaint but have yet to hear from the commission.
Whenuapai Airport Action Group president Russell Stewart said he'd accept money from Auckland International Airport again and denied such action compromised the group.
"This was just a smoke screen right from the start ... It was just another means of Bob Harvey [Waitakere council mayor] and Infratil taking the attention away from the main issues - the environmental concerns at Whenuapai," Stewart said.
Auckland International Airport did not comment.
