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Visitors to Invercargill will soon be arriving through the Sir Tim Shadbolt Terminal.
Invercargill City Councillors voted to rename the terminal at the Invercargill Airport in acknowledgment of the former mayor’s civic service to the city at a meeting on Tuesday.
He said ICC chief executive officer Michael Day had received written confirmation from Shadbolt’s family that this was an appropriate gesture, as well as himself receiving written support from Shadbolt’s support group.
A report by Invercargill City Holdings Ltd (ICL) chief risk officer and general manager Andrew Cameron noted that council had discussions with the Invercargill Airport Limited (IAL) board regarding three options of honouring Shadbolt.
These included renaming the Invercargill Airport as Sir Tim Shadbolt Airport, renaming the Airport Avenue as Sir Tim Shadbolt Avenue, and the eventual chosen option.
A mock-up of the Sir Tim Shadbolt terminal.
The report said Shadbolt had been approached, and was supportive of the discussed concept that included naming on the exterior of the building, an internal “Welcome to Sir Tim Shadbolt Airport Terminal”, the Sir Tim “painting with mask” that is currently in the Civic Theatre being located in the airport waiting area, and a plaque outlining his service to the city.
Mana Whenua representative Evelyn Cook spoke on behalf of Waihopai Ruanaka, who are a shareholder in the airport, saying they were in favour of the decision.
Councillor Alex Crackett said it was not likely council would encounter another Tim Shadbolt, joking with Clarke that he may not be getting his own name on a building.
Sir Tim Shadbolt, pictured in 1971.
Councillor Peter Kett said the renaming of the terminal was what Shadbolt deserved.
“He’s not only done this for Invercargill, but the province of Southland, and he’s gone far and beyond any other mayor that we’ve had,” he said.
Clarke said council were looking at mid-February 2024 for the renaming of the terminal as well as a ceremony to take place, though there would be discussions as to what form that would take.
The cost of the project is currently unknown, but not expected to be significant.
Former Invercargill mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt.
Councillor Ian Pottinger was the sole councillor to vote against, noting his opposition.
The council, through ICL holds 97.4 per cent of the shares in the airport.
Shadbolt was a director of the airport company from 2013-19 and during his tenure there was a significant runway extension in 2003, making it the third-longest civilian runway in New Zealand, and the new terminal development, which was completed in 2016.
He served two terms as Waitematā’s mayor from 1983 to 1989 before starting his career as mayor of Invercargill in 1993.
Shadbolt was not re-elected after his first term, but won the mayoralty back in 1998 and went on to serve nine terms though he was not re-elected when he stood for both council and the mayoralty in October last year.
In 2019 he was awarded the citation of Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
That same year, Shadbolt revealed that he had been diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia.
He had consistently disputed any suggestion his health was affecting his ability to do the job.
At the beginning of the year, a tribute book celebrating his life and legacy, compiled by Helen Campbell, was presented to him during a ceremony at Waverley Park School in Invercargill.
