Yay – no taxpayer money for Wellington Airport

Stuff reports:

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown is confident the Government will rethink helping pay for an airport runway extension.

I’m confident they won’t.

That’s despite Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce quashing any hopes the Government might put its weight behind the plans.

But Ms Wade-Brown this morning said a business case and resource consent were being worked through. When the business case was complete, the Government would ‘‘keep an open mind’’, she said.

Infratil say the new runway will cost $300 million and they want taxpayers and/or ratepayers to fork up $200 million of it. Outrageous.

In any case, taxpayer funding would not necessarily be needed, she said.

So Celia wants ratepayers to fork up the entire $200 million?