Guy Nathan: Airport Authorities (Sale to the Crown) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Guy Nathan: Airport Authorities (Sale to the Crown) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:635;Page:6762] 
NATHAN GUY (National) 
: 
 It is great to take a call on this Airport Authorities (Sale to the Crown) Amendment Bill. The member for Otaki has just rambled through a whole lot of historical stuff around the Paraparaumu Airport and I think he spent about a minute near the end of his speech to actually talk about this toothless bill. So I want to talk a bit about the airport and about where we are at right now. 
I think it is important to realise that this airport was built in 1956 or 1957 to supplement Wellington Airport. It was sold rightly or wrongly in the 1990s by the National Government because quite simply it was not making any money. It was sold when Mr Hughes was probably still at school in the 1990s. The reality is that aerodromes do not make money from landing fees. Members all know that aerodromes make money because they have business included around the airport functions. 
I think the important thing to realise is that the airport has been sold and now we have a second private owner. In 2006 we have the new owner Mr Noel Robinson whom Labour members are supporting because they think it is of great significance that he got a 2006 Queen’s Birthday honour. He was awarded a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Labour people are supporting Mr Robinson because of his visionary force behind Highbrook Business Park in Auckland where he has been able to establish an award-winning park of business environmental and lifestyle needs. 
So it is great that Labour is supporting the new owner. When Mr Hughes put his bill in the ballot he would have consulted with the new owner of Paraparaumu Airport Holdings. I ask Mr Hughes whether that is so. 
Darren Hughes 
: I don’t take my riding instructions from anybody. 
NATHAN GUY 
: I ask whether the member did not think it appropriate to consult with the new owner about this bill. I take it from his silence that that is correct. So that is the true arrogance of that member—he had a bill in the ballot relating to the airport the bill was drawn and he did not even consult with the new owner. 
Let us talk about looking forward to Mr Robinson’s development where over 30 years $700 million will be invested in Paraparaumu Airport and 5000 skilled jobs will be created. Many of those jobs hopefully will support iwi as well which I think is fantastic. They will be sustainable jobs. The other significant thing is that this airport will now be a strategic linkage between the western link road and Kapiti Road—which Mr Hughes would know about if he got out into his electorate and looked around. 
Darren Hughes 
: I beat this member. 
NATHAN GUY 
: That is right; the member did beat me—but he lost his majority from 7600 down to 300. It is the most marginal seat in the country I tell those who are listening. 
The two runways and associated aviation buildings will be placed in an airport core. The fundamental thing for members of Parliament to realise is that the new owner is proposing an airport core for the two runways. In other words that land will be locked up for future generations to enjoy. I think that it is significant that the two runways will be locked in an airport core for future generations. The new owner has actually been out and consulted with the community has listened to their ideas and is keeping the second runway. It will be of a shortened length but it will still be locked in an airport core. I think the important thing for the other side of the House to realise is that this is private investment. 
The Labour Government loves to run around giving out major regional initiatives. Recently $1.9 million was given out to the apparel and textile industry in Otaki. Here we have $700 million being invested over 30 years in Paraparaumu Airport and this Government I feel is not even supporting the present development plan from Paraparaumu Airport Holdings. Government members are running around and Trevor Mallard is having photo opportunities and giving a couple of million here and there and here we have the biggest example of economic transformation—that is a key phrase from the Prime Minister—right under the nose of this Government yet it seems not to be supporting it. 
I am presuming that Mr Hughes gave a letter of support from the present owner when he put his case forward to the Kapiti Coast District Council although I guess there will be silence when I ask that question. There is silence so I presume not. 
 The important thing to realise about this bill is that it will hurt not only Paraparaumu Airport but also nationwide airports. Airports all around the country are concerned about that. So the next speakers need to be aware that this bill if it goes to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee is not affecting just the airport out at Kapiti; it will have a major impact on other airports as well. 
I ask members to look at new section 3AB “Sale of airport land must be offered to the Crown first” to be inserted into the Airport Authorities Act by clause 5 of the bill. Here we have the Government being the first cab of the rank. It is effectively saying that the Government will have the first mortgage and any previous owners who feel they have a claim will be like the holders of the second mortgage. So I cannot really understand that myself. 
Darren Hughes 
: I cannot believe my luck at this speech! 
NATHAN GUY 
: I ask Mr Hughes to look at new section 3AC also to be inserted by clause 5 which restricts land use to aerodrome purposes—what the member said was a “backstop” position. This is socialism at its best is it not? 
Here is the Government saying that it knows what is best. Someone like Minister Carter can come in and be able to veto any project around any sort of airport development. It was interesting that Nick Smith’s bill to do away with a veto was locked up at 60 all. So half of the House supports getting rid of the veto and the biggest concern I have about new section 3AC is that a Minister of Transport—it could be Chris Carter in the future—could veto any developments on any airport. I think that that is absolutely ridiculous. 
The other key thing to realise concerns the article I recently saw in the  
National Business Review 
 dated 13 October. The article’s headline is “Airports get government permission to privatise”. Is that not surprising? Well well well! The article states that the Government is endorsing the corporatisation of airports. The two particular airports it has let go of so to speak are those of Hawke’s Bay and New Plymouth. It is important to realise that the Mayor of New Plymouth District Peter Tennent states in this article that corporatisation will enable development plans to be freely funded. So here we have the Government on the one hand wanting to privatise airports but on the other hand wanting to have more control. So time has moved on from this bill. 
The public support now around the developments of the Paraparaumu Airport is huge. I was in Coastlands when people were coming in and engaging looking at display boards and seeing the plan. About 500 people came in over 2½ days and only about 12 people were opposed to the developments. So I say to Mr Hughes that time has moved on. The community is now supporting Mr Robinson’s programme of development and I urge the member to get in behind this development because it is an example of economic transformation. It is the sort of major regional initiative that his Government trumpets all around the place. 
Let us be mindful that this is private enterprise doing what it does well. We would not see the Government stepping in investing $750 million and creating 5000 jobs over the next three decades would we? For that reason National opposes this bill. The bill is illogical it is flawed it does not seem to have had any legal input and I think the select committee—if the bill gets that far—will have to do a hell of a job to get it into some sort of practical state. I believe that a dark cloud will hang over the developments of Paraparaumu Airport for the next year or two if this bill gets bogged down in the select committee.