Quake risk emphasises airport plan is pointless
THE news that the risk of an Alpine Fault earthquake is now put at 75% in the next 50 years makes building airports in Central an irresponsible gamble.
With the predicted great magnitude 8 quake, tourism will essentially cease.
After the disaster cleanup, tourism will likely suffer a longterm recession, due to loss of scenic beauty, damaged international reputation, and ongoing infrastructure problems.
GNS Science predicts chronic, ongoing damage to tourism infrastructure, from storm slippage of quakeweakened hillsides. Recovery of the damaged landscape will likely take decades.
Imagine airports opening at
Wanaka or Tarras in, say, 2035. If the Alpine Fault holds off, the risk will be even higher than now.
The quake will likely occur during their first few decades of operation, leaving facilities idle or underutilised for perhaps 20 years. What return on investments of many hundreds of millions?
Airport promoters must accept the new science, and remove the cloud over Upper Clutha.
Graeme Halliday
Luggate
Wildly fun
CONGRATULATIONS to the organisers and participating parties of the Wild Dunedin festival.
With our grandchildren, we spent a day at the Otago Museum, another based on the Otago Peninsula taking a trip on Port to Port’s ‘‘Exploring
Dunedin’s Volcano’’ followed by ‘‘Snippets from the Sea’’ at the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre. We also joined in on the ‘‘Penguin Place Nature Ramble’’ and ‘‘Post Possum’’ planting advice.
All these events were very interesting and catered for young and old. Well done! We are looking forward to next year’s festival.
Pat Shanks
Alexandra