Airport companies' flight paths cross

The war between Whenuapai airport backers and Auckland International Airport has broken out on a new front, with the parties at odds over a resource consent for a second runway at Mangere.

Auckland International Airport hopes to get resource consents next year from the Auckland Regional Council for 485ha of earthworks for a second runway. It wants the consents granted for 20 years - much longer than usual.

It also wants to do earthworks for commercial development, such as shopping centres, commercial offices and freight warehousing.

The Manukau City Council environment and urban design committee was told this month that submissions from the Waitakere City Council and Whenuapai backer Infratil claimed to support the airport's plans, but "effectively opposed" them. They list a catalogue of conditions and objections.

"I couldn't possibly opine on what their motives are," said airport chief executive Don Huse.

"It's curious indeed, intriguing even, to see that they are participating in this process. But under provisions of the law applicable here, they are perfectly entitled to do so."

Infratil said Auckland Airport's applications did not promote sustainable management and did not give enough information on water quality. It also claimed they were to "allow commercial development not the second runway".

Waitakere City Council's chief executive, Harry O'Rourke, said the council's submission was "in support of plans for a second runway to be built".

It had simply "signalled concerns over environmental effects being managed, particularly with regards to the Manukau Harbour".

Infratil spokesman Tim Brown was yesterday distancing himself from the company's initial opposition, saying it was "more of a look over the fence" than staunch resistance.

"Our reason for putting in the initial submission was just to see what was going on really," he said.

"It is by no means certain that we're going to have any further part in the process. It is certainly highly unlikely that we would actively oppose them.

"We have no axe to grind in terms of what's going on at Mangere. Basically anything they want to do is totally up to them. What we're going to do down at Whenuapai is going to be irrelevant to their goings on," he said.

"There's no chance we're going to be engaged in a sort of tit-for-tat type battle over RMA-type issues."

Infratil and Waitakere are in the final stages of lobbying the Government for permission to turn the Whenuapai airbase into a commercial airport. A cabinet decision is due next month.

The airport company is worried a new airport at Whenuapai could delay its own expansion strategy, which includes the eventual construction of the second runway for smaller aircraft.

Infratil is 35.2 per cent owner of Tauranga-based electricity generator and retailer Trustpower, one of 20 companies who wrote to the Government in July urging reform of the Resource Management Act.