20-3-93 Wi gram base could still - be saved -B UCK • By Mike Crean in air force report on the ciosing 1 Wigram: base showed it conic have been kept open for RNZAF ground training, Christchurch mayor Vicki Buck said this week. By withholding figures on rationalisation of bases until decisions were announced, the air force had muted opposition to the proposed closing of Wigram, Ms Buck said. The report, released this week, showed the consolidation of ground. training at Wigram was a viable option. This option had not been krown before and it raised new hope the base might even yet be saved, she said. The consolidation of ground training is the last of four options considered by the air force and its consultants and listed in their report on rationalisation of bases. According to the report this option would involve little construction cost at Wigram, as refurbishment and modification of existing buildings would suffice. Total costs for the option, which includes retention of the No 1 repair depot at Woodburne as a stand- alone unit, would be $16.6 million, the report says. Annual savings would be $4.9 million. These figures compare with a total outlay of $34.5 million for the chosen option (closing Wigram) with annual savings of $10.2 million. In the chosen option ground training would be consolidated at Woodbourne with the repair depot. Flight training would shifted to Ohakea. Retaining the base at Wigram for ground training would keep the air force's options open for the future, while costing only half as much as moving ground training to Woodbourne, Ms Buck said. Small price The loss of $5 million a year in annual savings was a small price to pay tor keeping this option open. She doubted if many politicians knew this was the reported cost of maintaining Wigram. The real cost could be even lower, Ms Buck said. By retaining Wigram the air force could avoid relocation of its University Cadet Flight to Auckland. It had had a long and excellent relationship with Canterbury University for its trainees and this could continue with a saving of nearly Sl million in the planned Mayor Vicki Buck: "Option not known before. move to Auckiand. Apart from financial aspects, the air force report acknowledged there had been no consideration given to the relative merits of Blenheim (Woodbourne) • and Christchurch (Wigram) as communities within which air force people would be absorbed. Social aspects such as the range of schooling and tertiary education available, employment opportunities for families and community services had been ignored, Ms Buck said. This could be a costly mistake for the sake of saving S5 million a year. 23-4-93 Big plea for Wigram By DAVE WILSON Almost 16,000 peopie have signed a petition calling on the Government to preserve Wigram air base for aviation use. The petition, organised by the Wigram Airfield Development Support Group, had succeeded beyond the group's hopes, according to Mrs Lois Short, a spokeswoman for the group. "We have more than reached our target. We hoped for 10,000 signatures to save Wigram as a functioning airfield, but the final tally is close to 16,000 names." Wigram, New Zealand's first military air base and the birthplace of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, will be closed to save costs. The air force expects to leave the base by late 1995. The petition organisers intend to ask the Labour MP for Yaldhurst, Mrs Margaret Austin, to present the petition to Parliament. Mrs Short said that while Mrs Austin, in whose electorate Wigram sits, had indicated support for the campaign, there had been little feedback from other Christchurch MPs. "None of the local MPs has offered support and, with an election this year. I can't understand it." The petition asks the Government to ensure that Wigram's runway and surrounding land and the air space over it remain classified for aviation use. The support group has also enlisted the Historic Places Trust in an attempt to protect the base from non-aviation related developments. "Apart from being a significant asset for aviation in the South Island, Wigram holds a unique place in the country's military and civil aviation history," Mrs Short said.