Kaikohe 'should be Northland's airport'

Kaikohe is the best place to build a regional airport once Northland is ready for jet aircraft or international flights, tourism leaders say.
The regional airport issue came up at last week's Northland Tourism Conference in Waitangi, with tourism leaders calling on local government to safeguard Kaikohe airfield in case it is needed for a future regional airport.
The tourism industry wants the land, just south of Kaikohe and used by recreational flying groups, protected so it cannot be built on or developed except as an airport.
The call came a day after Northland's Regional Transport Committee said Kaikohe was a better bet than Kerikeri for future airport development. Kaikohe's runway has a solid basalt base, whereas it will cost millions to make Kerikeri's "slushy" ground firm enough to take a Boeing 737.
Tourism Development Group chairman Jeroen Jongejans said Northland was well served by frequent small aircraft flights. Larger planes would mean fewer flights and less choice of departure times.
But if Northland were to develop a conference industry, getting large numbers of people into the region in a short time would be problematic.
Whangarei's airport at Onerahi could not be extended, and Kaitaia's was too far north. Kerikeri and Kaikohe were both centrally located, but expanding Kerikeri faced financial and physical limitations - operator Far North Holdings estimates strengthening and upgrading the runway alone will cost $5 million.
That left Kaikohe, which was roughly the same distance from Whangarei as Kerikeri (92km compared to 97km), and only 10 to 15 minutes' drive further from Paihia (43km as opposed to 23km).
"From a tourism point of view, Kaikohe is the most suitable. We're not saying we're getting an international airport in Kaikohe in the next decade.
"It's about being clever and thinking 20-30 years ahead, making sure we don't shoot ourselves in the foot - so when there's an opportunity to bring more people up here, we've already chosen the right airport," Mr Jongejans said.
He said a conference industry would be a major economic boost for the North, which was busy in January and February but had a lot of spare hotel capacity in June and July.
A conference industry would make jobs permanent, raise skill levels and boost economic development. Northland's mild temperatures made it an attractive winter conference destination, he said.
With only limited money in the North it was important that if a regional airport was developed, it was done in the right place, Mr Jongejans said.
The idea has strong backing from Far North District councillor and Kaikohe resident Sally Macauley. Although Kaikohe was designated a recreational airfield several years ago, she said its geology and logistics made it ideal for a regional airport.
It could serve tourists coming for the cycle trail and open up new opportunities for commerce and industry in the Kaikohe area, she said.
The largest aircraft currently serving Northland is the twin-prop, 50-seat Bombardier Q300. The Boeing 737-300 jet operated by Air New Zealand takes about 140 passengers but needs a longer, stronger runway than the Q300.