The future of the country’s northernmost airport has been settled following months of negotiations between iwi and the Far North District Council.
There had been fears it would be shut down permanently, due to disagreements over who owned the land and who should run the facility. But with its future now certain, iwi want to have a greater say in the running of the airport.
It’s been running on a month-by-month extension to a lease that has kept the airport open.
The Ōhinu landblock where the airport is situated was sold in the 1800s, and almost 100 years later it ended up in the hands of the Crown, which established an airport there during World War II.
Hohepa Mclean, who represents Te Patukoraha, is happy with the outcome and says the future looks bright for the airport.
“As the saying goes, ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’. This issue has been settled.”
“The airport is the only block of land still in the hands of the Crown. That’s why we have fought so hard to have the whenua returned to us.”
Iwi in Muriwhenua have spent months in deliberations with the Far North District Council about the future of the airport after rumours that iwi did not support the continued operation of the airport.
An iwi-led occupation at the airport had been planned for next week but now it will not go ahead.
Wikatana Popata of Ngāti Kahu has been a major critic of the continued operation of the airport on what he says is disputed land. But he says hapū understand the importance of the airport and would like to see an international airport in the region one day.
“E hoa mā, tēnā rā pea ko te international airport tēnei. Engari waiho ki a mātou, mā mātou e whakarite”.
My friends, this could be an international airport. But leave it to us to proceed.
“It’s critical that the airport remains open because, as we can see, the Mangamuka Gorge is closed and there is only one major road that people can use to access this area.”
Ngāi Takoto chief executive, Rangitane Marsden, said the land would be bought back by Ngāi Takoto and returned to relevant hapū and marae.
He said the decision was supported by representatives of another local iwi, Ngāti Kahu, and its marae and hapū.
He said the agreement gave certainty that the land would be used as an airport, for a period of up to 35 years but not exceeding 40.
Marsden said the land transfer process would take up to six months and the property would be held in a new trust.