ROSE HARDING
The biosecurity risk to Hawke's Bay is too great to justify an international airport at Napier, say the region's fruitgrowers.
A taskforce led by Napier MP Russell Fairbrother yesterday recommended extending the runway by 600 metres to cater for commercial jet services.
However, Hawke's Bay fruitgrowers oppose the recommendation because of the risk of introducing pests which could devastate their industry.
Bridge Pa grower Jonathan Wiltshire said Hawke's Bay was the largest pip and stone-fruit growing area and the second-largest area for wine.
"Why would we introduce the risk into such an important horticultural and agricultural area?"
The example of the salt marsh mosquito found just north of Napier showed how easy it was for unwanted pests and diseases to get here, he said.
There were also five exotic ant incursions at the Port of Napier in January.
Travellers at international airports often carried in vegetables, fruit and meats which was confiscated but the risk was that some would get through.
Mr Wiltshire said the benefits of the runway extension were not enough to justify the risk to Hawke's Bay's main industries.
He also doubted there would be the volume of traffic to justify the extension.
"How many people would really want to fly directly from Napier when it is two hours to Palmerston North and four to Hamilton international airports?"
"And as a frequent overseas traveller the cost of flying out of Hawke's Bay to reach an international airport is a negligible part of the overall cost."
Runway threatens Bay fruit
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