HB Airport offer a shameful giveaway

The right for Mana Ahuriri to buy half of the HB Airport, reported on Saturday, is the latest of a long line of government blunders over the airport.

If the airport is important to the Hawke’s Bay economy, why would local and central government think it is a good idea to “sell”, which is more like “give”, half of the airport shares to a private organisation?

The current value of a half-share is $8-million. What would that private company do if it were offered double that amount for their half share? Perhaps they would sell it.

Central government is giving away its 50 percent share of the airport company. The other two shareholders are the Napier City Council (26 percent) and the Hastings District Council (24 percent).

This follows an earlier shameful give-away of a commercial rental by both councils on the 181 hectares of land jointly owned by Hawke’s Bay ratepayers being 80 percent of land used by the airport.

Mayors Lawrence Yule and Barbara Arnott agreed to lease our joint land for 60 +1 years at the princely sum of $1 a year.

They also removed our ability to have any right to buy shares in the airport should they be sold by the Crown as is about to happen.

Residents of Hawke’s Bay like to believe the airport is “our airport” but the people entrusted with its care have given it away.

ENDS

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