Benefits of Hercules work welcomed

Marlborough leaders welcome the benefits for the province of the Hercules aircraft upgrade returning to Woodbourne, and hope that former Safe Air engineers can be enticed back.

It was announced yesterday that the outfitting work for the $254 million upgrade of the Royal New Zealand Air Force's C-130 Hercules fleet would be done in Blenheim.

A team of 50 ministry staff and private contractors would be employed by the Government for about three years to complete the work, starting early next year.

Kaikoura MP Colin King said it had been "a devil's own struggle" for the Government to forge an agreement to get the work happening at Base Woodbourne.

"It's fantastic, because it's more work for Marlborough, but it's bitter sweet," he said, referring to the 77 Safe Air staff who lost their jobs this year when the original agreement fell through. He did not know where the engineers were, but he hoped they could be enticed back to do the work.

The problems with the contract could cost up to $10m, or about 4 per cent of the deal's total.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman said he was looking at the bright side: the jobs it brought to the town.

"It's good news that the work's being done in the province.

"It confirms that we have the facilities and the resources to do the job, but I feel sorry for the Safe Air staff who have lost their jobs while waiting for this project and hope that some of them can be re-engaged," he said.

Some of those who had lost their jobs had moved on, and he was not sure how many were still around Marlborough, he said.

He had spoken to some former Safe Air staff who were still in town and looking for work about two weeks ago, he said.

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said the union would work with the Government to bring as many of the laid-off engineers into the contract team as possible, and it was a matter of tracking them down.

''Recruiting a team of skilled workers will be a major challenge because the workers that were laid off are now scattered around the country and overseas.''

He understood that many of them had left Blenheim to get work.
The union could get in touch with the people through its contacts at Safe Air and through its own channels, he said.

Some might be wary of returning to the project, he said.

''It might be a case of once bitten, twice shy.''

The Marlborough Chamber of commerce was also investigating where the engineers were now.

- The Marlborough Express

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