99- 12-92 Door closes on move to save Wig ram By Mike Crean The door seems to be closed on lastditch city council attempts to keep Wigram air base open. In a letter to the Mayor of Christchurch this week, Air Vice Marshal John Hosie said rationalisation of air force bases could no longer be postponea. All flying , within New Zealand would be consolidated on Ohakea and Whenuapai, with the Woodbourne base near Bienheim being retained as a aircraft repair centre. Going north The trend was to the north rather than the south and it was only the extensive installation tor repaurs at Woodbourne that influenced the decision to keep it ореп Ohakea was ideal for flight training because of its rural position and its scope for expansion, Air Vice-Marshal Hosie said. Any future relocation of repair facilities would be to a point nearer Ohakea rather than farther from it. The chief of air staff rejected the mayors suggestion of a joint-venture arrangement between the air force and Christchurch International Airport for any operations there on the grounds that the air force must keep its independence under the Crown. The air force had a sentimental attachment to Wigram and regretted having to close the base there and leave it. However this had to be done for economic reasons, though he telt sad about it, Air Vice-Marshal Hosie said. The mayor, Vicki Buck, said further talks would be sought on the matter with the Government and she would arrange for councillors to meet the chief of air staff to hear his views. But as the air force's decision to shift was driven by government policies she accepted there was little chance of success in further appeals to the Prime Minister or Minister of Finance to retain Wigram