Plans to open the Air Force's Ohakea airbase to commercial freight flights will be put to Wellington local authorities soon in a bid to counter Auckland's economic dominance.
In the economic battle with Auckland, the lower North Island is clearly the loser, Vision Manawatu chief executive John Hickling said.
Inadequate air freightfacilities were partly to blame.
"If we don't improve, more business will drift north to Auckland and more will go to Australia."
Mixing exporting with defence at Ohakea is part of a strategy hatched by Palmerston North-based Vision Manawatu, an economic development agency. The strategy is being promoted with a roadshow travelling the lower North Island.
It is expected to visit Wellington councils in the coming month, though funding is not being sought from them at this stage.
"We've got to get the capabilities so that we can get global export reach," Mr Hickling said.
The agency spent $200,000 devising the strategy in the past 18 months, during which time Auckland's annual air freight turnover rocketed from 97,000 to 157,000 tonnes, he said.
Wellington's air freight figures were "a drop in the bucket" in comparison.
Mr Hickling wants the Ohakea developments within two years.
Vision Manawatu is awaiting the outcome of a defence force real estate review, looking at Ohakea's future use. One option is sharing defence facilities with commercial operators.
Mr Hickling said the airbase's 2440m runway could be extended a further 960m to handle long-range international flights. Wellington and Palmerston North airports would cater mainly for passenger flights.
Vision Manawatu expects to inject a further $100,000 into the plan in the coming year, and will apply for a Ministry of Economic Development grant.
The cabinet took interest in the agency's Ohakea plan when briefed on it last month, though Wellington's Chamber of Commerce and International Airport company were less receptive. The chamber's chief executive, Claire Johnstone, said more research was needed, and Wellington Airport chief executive John Sheridan has questioned whether air freight turnover would justify the investment needed.
An independent group, Cargo Hub NZ, was set up recently to co-ordinate the Manawatu roadshow. It hopes to have market research, project designs and funding issues sorted out by June next year.
