KEY POINTS:
Catching a budget flight to Cairns or Christchurch from an airport in north-west Auckland is still just an idea after five years of controversy and hard campaigning.
After what seemed to be a bad patch - the loss of two key allies in a week - Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey was yesterday still upbeat about the chances of Whenuapai Air Base becoming a commercial airport.
"I think we're halfway towards achieving our goal," said Mr Harvey.
The campaign was prompted by the Defence Force in 2002 announcing it would be leaving the base and consolidating air facilities at Ohakea.
"Losing the Air Force would be a blow to Waitakere's economy - about $15 million in today's terms," said Mr Harvey. The council joined with infrastructure investor Infratil to try to buy the 311ha base and later to get shared use of the base with the airport.
But last year Defence Minister Phil Goff deferred consideration of it until nearer the time when the Air Force was expected to move - about 2014.
Regardless, Waitakere City Council and Infratil formed a North West Auckland Airport development company, with Waitakere giving up some of its shares to bring in North Shore City Council and Rodney District Council.
This week new North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams, whose October election pledge was to oppose the airport, said the other councils and Infratil would be informed that it wanted to withdraw from the "paper company".
The shareholders will meet next month to discuss the request. Legal opinions will be exchanged.
Mr Harvey said that in breaking the deal North Shore was "cutting off its nose to spite its face" by ignoring the benefits of budget flights.
He showed less disappointment over the success of Infratil chairman Lloyd Morrison in gaining a seat on the board of Auckland International Airport, after the company had acquired a significant shareholding.
Infratil had invested $30 million in Auckland Airport but nothing in the Whenuapai company, Mr Morrison said. But he saw it was in Auckland's interest to see Whenuapai developed as a complementary operation.
This year, Auckland Airport donated $20,000 to the Whenuapai Airport Action Group (Waag), which was successful in swaying public opinion against being in the flight path of any Whenuapai commercial flights.
Infratil spokesman Tim Brown said yesterday that it would keep its part of the deal in the North West Airport company. "We are legally committed to supporting the project," he said.
Mr Morrison wanted the Auckland board to discuss the merits of Whenuapai but would not be able to take part in that discussion and Infratil's Whenuapai project.
Mr Brown said Infratil believed the Air Force would stay indefinitely and the nature of the project had changed from the initial aim of partnering with Waitakere to buy the base in anticipation of the Air Force's withdrawal.
"Our view is it does not matter how long the military are there [at Whenuapai] because there are ways in which joint use can be progressed."
An announcement from Defence Minister Phil Goff is expected this year after the Cabinet considers progress and cost estimates of the Ohakea redevelopment project. National's defence spokesman Wayne Mapp said he thought the Air Force's enthusiasm to move to Ohakea had diminished and any move would be put back further.
KEY DATES
April 2003: Waitakere City Council gives the chief executive authority to enter into a memorandum of understanding with Wellington airport owner Infratil to develop a joint venture on development of a commercial airport.
February 2006: Waitakere invites North Shore and Rodney councils to join it with a view to establishing an airport company.
August 2006: Contract signed for creation of a masterplan and cost estimates to redevelop Ohakea.
October 26, 2006: Poll taken across the region shows overall 53 per cent of people support the idea of commercial services running at Whenuapai as soon as possible, compared to 15 per cent against.
October 13, 2007: Local body elections result in defeat for North Shore Mayor George Wood and most of the councillors who did not pledge opposition to a commercial airport because of increased aircraft noise and pollution.
November 25, 2007: New North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams and council withdraw support for a commercial airport and seek to cease to be a party to the shareholders' agreement.
