Auckland Airport set for world-leading water fix

After significant flooding at Auckland Airport during the Anniversary Weekend floods, steps are being taken to ensure it does not happen again.

Photos and video showing floodwaters in the airport terminal — including passengers wading through water — were beamed around the world in January last year.

At that time, stranded passengers described the international airport as a “war zone” and “zombie land”, with flights cancelled and more than 1000 displaced people and staff walking around or sleeping on the floor.

Sustainability manager Ellie Callard said the airport had learned from the flooding and was taking steps to reduce the impact of future extreme events.

While addressing the Manukau Harbour Forum, a group made up of the nine local boards that edge the harbour, Callard said the airport wanted to be a better neighbour to the harbour and environment as it proceeded with development plans for the coming decade.

“The floods showed us we had to do better, and we have been working on what that means,” Callard said.

“Airports by their nature are places with a lot of concrete, runways and buildings. But Auckland Airport also makes a huge investment in stormwater and we want to do it well.” The airport was investing in world-leading technology designed to improve catchment, filtration and water quality discharge, she said.

The airport was bringing the domestic and international terminals together, and developing more hard stand areas for parking aircraft, “something we want to offset in a smarter way than ever before”.

It plans to use bio-filtering technology and improved wetland management techniques that will capture, retain and treat stormwater on site in a first for New Zealand.

She acknowledged that with wetlands comes bird life — something which poses an aviation risk.

“Today we can harness knowledge that allows us to attract birds to areas we want them in, but which will keep them away from runways.

“Our longer-term objective is to renew all our stormwater ponds to the latest standards.”

The airport was also working to restore contaminated land, once used for firefighting training, and was working with iwi and community groups on coastal and community clean-ups, planting programmes and wildlife protection.

Forum chairman Jon Turner said it was fantastic to see the airport stepping up. “What’s welcome is hearing Auckland Airport wants to take more responsibility for the environment.”

■ Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air