Waiau airstrip to be sold by tender

The Waiau airstrip near Te Anau is finally set to go on the market.

In July, the Southland District Council approved a recommendation to sell the 96ha property on the condition it be closed as an operational airstrip.

The council want to sell the airstrip now the new $7.1 million Manapouri airport is open, but the decision to close Waiau angered many recreational pilots.

But last month the Fiordland Aero Club voted to accept the Te Anau Community Board's offer to buy its old building at the old airstrip so they could build a new hangar at Manapouri.

Council property manager Kevin McNaught said the board had approved the aero club's lease at Manapouri and $129,000 would be paid for the old building.

Rural service company PGG Wrightson would be handling the sale and the airstrip would be put up for tender within 10 days, he said.

Community board chairman Ron Egan said the board's aim was to try to make everyone happy and hopefully, that would happen now the deal had been signed.

Club president Murray Hagen said building consent for the new hangar should be approved by next week.

The building project would probably cost an extra $30,000-$40,000 to finish and the club was looking at applying to the Meridian Manapouri Te Anau Community Fund, and organising fundraising events to raise the money, Mr Hagen said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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