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A proposal to build a commercial airport at Auckland's Whenuapai airbase has come to a grinding halt.
Defence Minister Wayne Mapp met with Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey today, and told him the airbase will be retained for the Royal New Zealand Airforce.
Harvey, who has been a strong advocate for a commercial airport, now says he accepts the Government's decision.
He says he now believes keeping the base is the best long term option for both the Air Force and the city.
Listed infrastructure company Infratil, which is the two-thirds owner of Wellington Airport, had joined forces with the Waitakere Council to help develop a commercial airport on the Whenuapai site.
NEWSTALK ZB/HERALD ONLINE
