Waikato has big plans in aviation

By SIMON COLLINS

Hamilton wants another $2 million in regional development funding to boost an expanding aviation cluster at the city's airport.

The city council's economic arm, Business to Hamilton, has filed a concept proposal to NZ Trade and Enterprise for a "major regional initiative" to attract supporting firms for Pacific Aerospace, which began with topdressing aircraft in 1965, and newcomer Alpha Aviation.

The regional initiative scheme provides up to $2 million in the first three years on condition that the region raises 25 per cent of the money.

Waikato has already had one $2 million grant for the innovation park at Ruakura which opened last year. A second building on that site is nearing completion and is almost fully let.

Marlborough has already had a second grant from the scheme, for an aviation heritage centre at Blenheim's Omaka Aerodrome, which will restore classic fighter planes. Film maker and fighter plane buff Peter Jackson has designed part of that centre.

Last month Alpha Aviation announced plans for a factory employing about 90 people at Hamilton Airport to make two-seater planes for a French company.

A week later Pacific Aerospace signed a deal to build aircraft partly in Hamilton and finish them in Canada for the North American market. It has increased staff numbers from 80 last November to 160, and plans to hire a further 60.

Hamilton Airport has also unveiled plans to spend $21 million extending its runway and upgrading its terminal building.

It is seeking developers for 130ha of adjacent land and is negotiating with Britain's CTC Aviation, which is interested in building a pilot training centre.

Business to Hamilton chief executive Graham Smith said the regional development initiative aimed to attract supporting infrastructure such as firms making composite materials and aircraft parts.

"The money would be used to employ a cluster facilitator, for international marketing and for some infrastructure along the lines of the building at the Waikato Innovation Park," he said.

Pacific Aerospace chief executive Brian Hare said he contracted composite work to a Papakura company and would like it to be closer.

"At the moment they are going fulltime doing what they are doing. We want them to go three times that fast," he said.

"There are a number of people who have expressed interest in being involved in that process, knowing that if they moved here they'd have a whole industry to supply to."

Trade and Enterprise regional development manager Peter Healy said Hamilton now had a solid aviation base and was "pulling out all the stops to build on that opportunity".