Northland regional airports at risk says group

Kaitaia's is one of 12 regional airports described by the industry body as an "endangered species".

Northland's three airports are an "endangered species", facing a funding crisis caused mainly by years of government neglect, according to the industry body.

NZ Airports is lobbying the government to stump up $32 million over the next five years, which it says is needed to keep the country's regional airports open without small-town ratepayers having to prop them up. The 12 airports the association says are most at risk include Whangarei, Kerikeri and Kaitaia.

Transport Minister Simon Bridges said he was ready to listen to concerns about regional airports, but he rejected the "doomsday scenario".

NZ Airports launched its campaign for sustainable small airports at Parliament last week, chief executive Kevin Ward saying many small airports couldn't make significant infrastructure investments without support from their owners, which were usually local councils. That meant they were effectively being subsidised by ratepayers.

"A lot of councils have said we can't do without airports, so they've gone about subsidising them, but that's not fair on ratepayers in small towns and regions," he said.

"Regional airports should be regarded as part of the national transport network, like state highways, and funded by central government rather than local councils. When you fly from Kaitaia or Whangarei you're not undertaking a local journey, you're flying to a big city. There shouldn't be a call on ratepayers."

NZ Airports had calculated that $32m would cover upgrades and maintenance for the next five years, while the Government made more money from the sector than was being asked for - as part-owner of Christchurch airport it received an annual dividend of about $8m - so it wouldn't be a call on taxpayers.

"We don't want to dump it on taxpayers any more than we want it dumped on ratepayers," Mr Ward added.

He was expecting to meet Mr Bridges in coming days.

Mr Bridges said the Government understood the economic and social importance of regional airports, and already supported some of them, particularly the ones it part-owned.

"We're open to working with the Airports Association on these matters, but we don't accept the doomsday scenario for some of the regional airports as accurate. Some are going from strength to strength," he said.

Whangarei, for example, was on NZ Airports' "crisis list" but the Government, which was a part-owner, had helped pay for a recent expansion, it was making a profit and had a bright future, he said. Also, small airlines were increasingly serving the regions, and doing so on a commercial basis, despite critics' predictions they would fail.

Acting Far North mayor Tania McInnes said the problem was bigger than just airports. With the third-largest district in the North Island but a small, and in some areas a declining population, ratepayer affordability of all infrastructure was an issue, especially for the Far North's 2500km road network.

Mr Ward said NZ Airports had launched the campaign because the Government was working on updates to the Civil Aviation and Airport Authorities acts.

The latter included a requirement that airports operate on a commercial basis, which would exclude many small airports.

¦Whangarei airport is owned 50-50 by the Whangarei District Council and the Government. Kerikeri airport is owned and operated by council-owned Far North Holdings. Kaitaia airport is operated by Far North Holdings on Crown-owned land.