Wellington Airport

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Wellington Airport

• Economic impact and driver of economic
  development
• Charles Finny, CEO, Wellington Regional Chamber
  of Commerce

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Wellington Airport

• Has been a focus of Chamber attention since 1929.
• Often at loggerheads with Government and central
  and local level and airlines over location and
  need for continual improvement
• Without the Chamber that airport would probably
  be a 40 minute drive to the north
• Our view has consistently been that an airport in
  the centre of town is hugely beneficial to our
  economy both in terms of direct economic
  contribution and productivity gain

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Airport as a magnet for business 1

• Having an airport just minutes from the centre of
  town is seen as hugely beneficial for our members
• Regular support in surveys
• Anecdote suggests that the location has both
  attracted new business and encouraged existing
  businesses to stay close by

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Airport as a magnet for business 2

• The airport has enabled and encouraged the
  development of the motion picture cluster on
  Miramar peninsular.
• It has made Wellington the logical place for New
  Zealand businesses to be coordinated from
  Wellington is the Air New Zealand domestic hub,
  you can get from Wellington to all parts of the
  country more easily than from any other airport.

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Airport as a magnet for business 3

• The airport is the reason why last year,out of
  New Zealands top twenty companies as many had
  their headquarters in Wellington as in Auckland
• And why a number of CEOs of companies with
  Auckland bases have Wellington as home Telstra
  Clear for example

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Airport as a magnet for business 4

• But our members want better services
• More destinations in New Zealand and Australia
• And lack of longer haul destinations seen in our
  surveys as 1 barrier to expanded international
  interaction
• We are convinced that expanded services will lead
  to even more business investment in Wellington

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Business Likes Wellington Airport

• Because it is easy to get to improves
  productivity and environmentally friendly.
• It is the best airport in the country.
• Air New Zealand domestic hub.
• Good services to Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane.
• Because of direct economic contribution to
  Wellington economy.

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Economic Impact

• 1,500 jobs.
• Airport company alone 75 jobs spends 30
  million a year in Wellington economy
• Total contribution at least 300 million a year

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Positive for local communities

• Aside from direct spend..
• Has been positive for local commercial and
  residential property prices. In Rongotai low
  value industrial and retail land has been
  transformed to high value(The average Freehold
  Rateable Value in the Rongotai industrial block
  has risen from c.77/m2 to c. 700/m2 between the
  period 2001 - 2006.)
• This means higher rates revenue
• Seatoun, Wellingtons second most expensive
  suburb located less than a five minute drive no
  coincidence
• Miramar and Kilbirnie prices also buoyant.
  Hataitai, Roseneath, Oriental Bay all influenced
  by proximity to airport
• Strong positive impact on commercial property
  prices
• Where airports go, property development
  opportunites follow Kilbirnie (but we are
  seeing that at Paraparaumu also)

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Positive for local communities

• Airports attract business, WIAL leases
  approximately 100,000m2 of floor space (exluding
  the main terminal building which is about
  30,000m2 gross floor area NB not the lettable
  area) to a host of tenant businesses that have to
  be located around an airport
• Rental car companies, Freight and logistics
  companies, Pet forwarding companies, Warehousing
  and storage facilities, Aviation charter
  companies eg Vincent Aviation, Aviation Catering
  companies, Aviation mechanical and technical
  maintenance companies , Courier companies, Fuel
  stations, Food cafes to support workers in the
  above industries, Carparking management
  companies, Retailers eg bulk retailers,
  Regulatory bodies such as MAF and Customs
•  And within the main Terminal 
• Airlines, Regulatory bodies, Retailers, Catering
  and cafe providers, Advertisers, Foreign
  Exchange Dealers 
• The workers like to live close

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Strong links with local business

• Aside from links with wider Wellington business
  airport has strong supportive links with
• Enterprise Miramar peninsular
• Local sports clubs
• Charities

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Strong links with local business

• Working closely with Positively Wellington
  Tourism on tourism promotion Australia and
  further a field
• A key component in Wellington Regional Strategy
  particularly encouraging long haul
• Close link with the Chamber side by side in
  encouraging a competitive aviation model
• Encouraging quality regulation
• The best possible air services for Wellington
• Wellington Airport a strategic partner for us
  and the wider region

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Partnership 1

• Australian Marketing Campaign
• Wellington Airport and Positively Wellington
  Tourism initiated a tourism marketing campaign in
  Australia in 2004.
• Campaign targets Sydney and Brisbane.
• The campaign is direct to consumers.
• Value of around 1 million per annum.
• Wellington Airport major contributor (and largest
  private sector contributor) Other partners
  Interislander, Te Papa, WCC, airlines.
• Australian visitors account for 1 in 3 of
  international visitors to Wellington.
• International Visitor Survey shows there has been
  a 15 in Australian visitors to Wellington from
  YE 2004 to YE 2006.

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Partnership 2

• The project was initiated by Wellington Airport
  and Positively Wellington Tourism with the
  support of regional partners in 2006. The Chamber
  got in behind the proposal from the outset.
• The new generation Boeing B787 Dreamliner and
  Airbus A350 aircraft are able to take off and
  land on Wellingtons existing runway and fly
  direct to Asia.
• Wellington Regional Strategy identified the lack
  of long haul air services into Wellington as a
  major impediment to economic growth and global
  linkages in the future.
• The airport is the leading party in Wellington
  pursuing these services with Positively
  Wellington Tourism and the Chamber.
• airport infrastructure is vital to realising the
  potential of the long haul opportunity - the
  developments the airport is pursuing to
  accommodate growth in short haul services and new
  safety standards (terminal expansions, new gates
  and runway extensions) will also improve
  Wellington's position in seeking long haul
  services.