Whenuapai shuts out trespassers

Whenuapai Air Base has served trespass notices against three school-age children for taking a short cut across the airfield.

Residents have also been warned to stop using the grounds to jog, walk their dogs, fly kites and ride horses and quad bikes.

A long-time resident says the keep out notices - which could lead to a $1000 fine or three months' jail - are "over the top".

Malcolm Hahn said the notices issued to the teenagers had been a hot topic at this week's ratepayers' association meeting.

"We were horrified - for 40 years locals have been able to walk around the base perimeter or swim in the base's pool.

"But things have been tightening up since 9/11."

Mr Hahn said he had never heard of anyone getting in the way of aircraft nor getting trespass notices at the base, which began operations in World War II and was Auckland's civilian airport until 1965.

He thought base officials did not need to give "a 14-year-old kid" a written notice, nor tell Henderson police about the trespass notices.

Another resident, Ron Smart, said not many civilians knew they were banished by tighter base security.

"In my 31 years here, there have been signs at the gate and we residents have used it as a shortcut on walks and for bikes and dogs.

"It's not like it's LA International Airport - there's hardly any planes at weekends."

Mr Smart said three 14- and 15-year-olds, who used to cycle and walk across the base when attending Whenuapai School, were stopped on Sunday walking along the edge of the airfield and issued with trespass notices.

"The notice states that if they reoffend within two years, they face up to three months in jail," he said.

"Our jails are full enough without the residents of Whenuapai doing porridge."

Written warnings to stay off the base were also issued to two adults who were riding horses on the airfield, said the commander of Auckland Base Whenuapai, Wing Commander Stuart Mackenzie.

He said that over the last two years he had stopped hundreds of people on the base and told them to leave. Signs said it was a defence area, which imposed restricted access.

"Some of the residents treat it like a park in West Auckland.

"They pick mushrooms, walk dogs, fly kites, ride quad bikes and run horses here."

He said the base must be made secure in the interests of doing its job and ensuring the safety of all those within the defence area.

Next year the base would host a large exercise involving foreign aircraft and would be expected to be free from wandering civilians.

The base also had to do its bit to stop the introduction of pests and disease.

After a "softly softly" stance failed, said Wing Cdr Mackenzie, he issued trespass notices to people who ignored his warnings.

Trespassers were putting themselves in danger by crossing "active" runways.

Wing Cdr Mackenzie said he had also terminated a swimming pool pass system that had allowed the public to use the unsupervised staff pool.

Whenuapai School principal Warren Spanhake said the school was adjacent to the base and pupils were forbidden on it except for the annual cross-country run.

School buses saved pupils from walking home, and from the temptation to take a short cut.