Action Group Launching Protest Petition At Paraparaumu Airport

A unique coalition representing many Maori and Pakeha groups will launch a Petition at an historic site on the Paraparaumu Airport at 11am on Friday, January 18.

Mr Peter Love, Wellington Tenths Trust Chairman, will help launch the Petition, which calls for the Airport Authorities Act Amendment Bill to be approved in its entirety by Parliament.

As well as the original Maori owners (Te Whanau a te Ngarara), the other members of the Coalition include representatives of the original Pakeha owners of Airport land, citizen's groups, the Kapiti Aero Club, the national Federation of Aero Clubs, and other aviation interests..

The Coalition says it's worried the new owners of the Airport, a group of Auckland businessmen, will close the East-West runway and start major industrial development at the airfield.

It's also calling for justice for the original Maori and Pakeha landowners whose property was taken by the Government for a war-time airfield in the 1940's.

The Airport Coalition's says its aims are to:
• Retain airports for aviation
• Secure justice for the original Maori and Pakeha landowners
• Keep existing open space
• Stop commercial development outside aviation
• Prevent the destruction of alternate runways for commercial development

What: Official Launch of the Paraparaumu Airport Petition
Where: Paraparaumu Airport
When: 11am, Friday, January 19

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