Paul Raven (left), of Shelter Architects, Taupō Airport operations manager Kim Gard, Chris Johnston, of the Taupō Airport Authority, Trevor Watts, of Watts Construction, Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas, and Taupō Airport acting general manager Wayne Wootton celebrate the opening of the new terminal building. Photo / Supplied
Paul Raven (left), of Shelter Architects, Taupō Airport operations manager Kim Gard, Chris Johnston, of the Taupō Airport Authority, Trevor Watts, of Watts Construction, Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas, and Taupō Airport acting general manager Wayne Wootton celebrate the opening of the new terminal building. Photo / Supplied
Taupō Airport’s new terminal is complete, has been blessed, and it’s first passengers given a warm welcome this week.
The $9.72 million terminal was allocated $3.367 million in the Taupō District Council’s long-term plan and required a further $480,000 of supplementary funding, a $5 million grant from the Crown’s Provincial Development Unit, and $870,000 from the Ministry of Transport.
Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas said the new terminal was a credit to all involved.
“This is going to be an asset to our entire district. It looks absolutely fantastic and is distinctly Taupō. Thanks to all the locals involved in this who have gone the extra mile in really challenging times — they can be very proud of what they have achieved — and thanks also to the community for their patience while the construction was underway.”
Project manager Pernille Fletcher said the project had had its challenges due to the implications of Covid-19, but had been completed on time thanks to the many Taupō locals involved.
“The new terminal has been a real labour of love for the project team.”
The building was designed by local company Shelter Architects and built by Taupō's Watts Construction.
“This really helped as we could be around the table together and on site to resolve any issues. And being involved in a project that will be an iconic asset to our district for years to come meant they brought a lot of passion to the project.”
The new terminal is three times the size of the old terminal and Mrs Fletcher says it will be a uniquely Taupō welcome for visitors from outside the district.
“We’ve been working with local creative Delani Brown and photographer Jeremy Bright and the interior of the terminal is just as unique as the overall design of the building.”
The first Air New Zealand flight arrives outside the new Taupō Airport terminal. Pictured are Air New Zealand crew with Mayor David Trewavas, operations manager Kim Gard and acting airport manager Wayne Wootton. Photo / Supplied
The interior features two huge rimu tree trunks that had fallen in Pureora forest and were salvaged thanks to the generosity Te Kotahitanga o Ngati Tuwharetoa and local hapu Ngati Te Kohera. They were then sandblasted to give the final texture.
“We also have a mauri stone from Tauhara quarry in the terminal and the two feature walls are covered in images of our mountains and lake taken by Jeremy. So for locals the terminal will be a real reminder that they are home — and for visitors a clear indication that they have arrived.”
Acting airport general manager Wayne Wootton said the new terminal was a better fit for the growing commercial and business precinct around the airport.
“There are several businesses based here that play important roles in our district — and beyond — but also contribute to our local economy and our community. We have a well-established skydiving destination, a growing aviation engineering industry that services aircraft from around the North Island, the Greenlea rescue chopper, and a strong agricultural and forestry aviation sector. We are going to see these businesses continue to grow and the upgraded terminal is an important addition to that.”
The airport’s carpark has also been upgraded, with contractors Camex Civil putting in new surfacing and lighting to make it safer and easier to use.
One thing users may not enjoy is that parking fees will be applied from February 13.
“One of the requirements for the funding we received was that the airport has to have a viable business model, and parking fees are a part of that,” Wootton said.
There is no charge for stays of up to 30 minutes — for pickups and drop-offs, up to 60 minutes will be $2 and then $2 an hour up to a maximum of $14 for the day.
