Oamaru Airport. PHOTO: ODT FILES Oamaru Airport could capitalise on the growing number of cruise ship passengers arriving in Timaru by acting as a ‘‘tourism gateway’’ to the region, a report into the future of the facility suggests. Fostering the South Island’s burgeoning billion-dollar aerospace industry, turning the airport into a regional freight/logistics hub and turning it into a solar farm were other ideas floated as ways to become more commercial and sustainable. Smaller aircraft run by a regional airline provider on a limited schedule to Christchurch could also boost connectivity and provide onward access to Wellington. The so-called ‘‘pipe-dreams’’ were included in a draft strategy and business plan discussed by councillors last week, as the Waitaki District Council grapples with what a future airport without New Zealand Airline Academy looks like — and how to make it pay. The flight school, the dominant and major tenant at the council-owned asset, announced it would be quitting the airport by the end of the year after failing to reach an agreement with the council. No decisions were made at Tuesday’s council workshop. Discussions would eventually feed into a master plan for the airport, which was labelled a ‘‘significant’’ council-owned asset with ‘‘underused potential’’. Airport manager Matt Sisson, who authored the report, said it was not a five-year document but a 30-year one to ‘‘map out’’ what they could do and how they could achieve it. He stressed his were just ‘‘ideas’’ and ‘‘potential pathways’’ at this stage. Mr Sisson later admitted it was ‘‘all pipe-dreams’’ when pressed by Cr Jim Hopkins. The airport manager said the previous council had agreed on a strategy but never signed it off, meaning they were left with no signed resolution on what to do with the airport. Timaru welcomed a record 14 cruise ships last year, bringing with them thousands of visitors to the city’s cafes, shops and attractions, and now Oamaru could be after a piece of the pie. There was a ‘‘significant opportunity’’ to position Oamaru Airport as a ‘‘tourism gateway’’, boosting regional tourism by leveraging the North Otago town’s proximity to its South Canterbury neighbour, Mr Sisson’s report said. Charter and scenic flights, collaboration with cruise operators and aviation-linked tourism packages tailored to cruise passengers were options. Timaru’s economic and tourism agency Venture Timaru had a goal to attract 30 cruise ship visits per year by 2030, the report said. Other ideas included creating facilities to support film-making, which would be an ‘‘opportunity to support an emerging creative industry within the Waitaki district, where there is growing interest in film, digital media and content production’’. The aerospace industry was a ‘‘major future economic driver’’ forecast to contribute more than $1 billion to the Canterbury economy by 2035. ‘‘This growth presents a significant strategic opportunity for Oamaru Airport and the Waitaki district to position themselves as part of the expanding South Island aerospace and advanced aviation ecosystem.’’ Christchurch Airport, which has a large-scale solar farm, was cited as an example when it came to renewables. Flat, open airport land was ‘‘well-suited’’ for the purpose. Dry storage, warehousing and processing facilities could be developed, aligning with the region’s economy. Councillors were being urged to take a ‘‘more commercially focused’’ approach towards the airport. Cr Hopkins said there had been a commercial approach at the airport with the airline academy and they could be more commercial by taking a ‘‘more commercially focused approach’’ to clients. New Zealand Airline Academy’s absence from the document was a ‘‘glaring omission’’, he said. Waitaki District Mayor Mel Tavendale pointed out no airport user was named in it for a reason and it was a strategic discussion. Another workshop is due to be held before the council approves the business plan.
