Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan has confirmed her council has no intention of selling its shares in Hamilton Airport but could be in the market to buy more.
Speaking to The News’ sister publication Waikato Business News, O’Regan said the council was fortunate to have such a strategic asset.
Hamilton Airport. Photo: Shaun Jeffers
The airport sits at the northern end of the Waipā district and recent plan changes have opened it up to industrial development.
Susan O’Regan
O’Regan said the council had not even signalled selling the shares was up for review; Waipā owns 15.6 per cent.
“The recent plan change opens up a very good amount of airport owned land and the share value is likely to increase substantially in future years which means it could be beneficial to buy more if we were ever in the position to,” she said.
The other shareholders include Hamilton city (50 per cent), Waikato and Matamata-Piako (15.6 per cent each) and Ōtorohanga (3.2 per cent). The five councils paid $2.125 million in 1989 and another $12 million in a shareholder call in 2008-2009.
The airport is now worth $234 million.
Waikato Business News also reports from the opening of Union Square and the Maersk Ruakura Superhub in Hamilton, meets Simon Bridges in Matamata, Prof Paul Spoonley in Cambridge, attended the Northern Infrastructure Forum in Hautapu, celebrated Chinese New Year where food was tossed and turned aimlessly and was Out and About capturing people, including Waipā residents, at various events.
See: Fight or flight
Hamilton Airport
