FAQs
Aviation Futures
Did you know most airports technically run at a loss?
It is the surrounding residential and commercial infrastructure, job opportunities and interconnectivity that airports generate is what make them profitable strategic assets to a region. Airports give back so much more than marginal profits from landing fees and coffees bought in the waiting area.
Why should Kāpiti embrace these opportunities?
If our airport embraces new technologies and is proactive in building the necessary infrastructure ahead of the larger hubs, Kāpiti has the opportunity to become a regional leader in the new era of flight.
E-commuter aircraft are smaller, with shorter flight distances. As we move towards an e-aviation future, staging points between the main centres will become crucial elements of an interconnected transport network across Aotearoa. Positioning our airport as a critical component of a point-to-point system will increase Kāpiti’s desirability as a region in which to do business, visit as a tourist, or live.
By establishing the infrastructure necessary for e-aviation, Kāpiti Airport can provide a hub for tertiary education for pilots; Kāpiti Aero Club has shown itself to be an early supporter and forward thinker in this area.
Avionic Innovation
How Would An Avionics Hub Work?
Based around the proposed Tech Hub, there is potential to create a thriving business ecosystem that attracts top innovators in the Airframe, Power-plant, Avionics and Technology sectors. Start-up minded entrepreneurs, angel investors and venture capitalists would be attracted to the area and pave the way for universities, government initiatives and larger businesses to contribute to the ecosystem.
What Organisations would be part of an Avionics Hub?
Once the groundwork is completed, we believe facilities of industry-affiliated organisations and companies would follow:
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Airways NZ Operations
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MBIE: Tech Futures & Incubators
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CAA Enablers
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Incubators & accelerators (MBIE / Callaghan)
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Net Zero Council (Industry, Regulators, Innovators)
What are the potential economic benefits to Kapiti?
This entire ecosystem would generate employment opportunities unlike anything we currently have in the Kāpiti Region. 90% of jobs in Kāpiti currently are services jobs; we are losing our young people and talent to better options outside of the region. With an innovative avionic hub and an affiliated business ecosystem, our region can deliver higher paid roles, attract educated workers and contribute to productivity gains for the whole of Aotearoa.
Contemporary Housing
How does your proposed housing solution meet the needs of Kāpiti?
New residential developments in New Zealand should prioritise sustainability and those in our community who need new housing the most.
Considering that a substantial portion of the Kāpiti population are retirees or families within the low income bracket, any future housing developments need to take the lifestyle needs and budgets of these demographics into serious consideration.
New developments should also be viable in the long-term. Our model focuses on energy efficient design and materials, with potential to incorporate solar and battery energy.
Medium density housing allows space for green areas and pathways for walking and cycling to catalyse active lifestyles and less reliance on vehicles. Space would also be available for community assets such as supermarkets, a retail and hospitality precinct and a Civil Defence Centre.
What is the Blue Zone model of community living?
The Blue Zone medium-density housing model has been proven internationally to improve quality and longevity of life for residents. It was created with an ageing community in mind; given the high proportion of retirees and downsizers in the Kāpiti region, this model is a great place to start when planning a community surrounding the airport.
Respected Kiwi architect Gordon Moller advocates for the Blue Zone model as a concept “designed to respect and respond to the coastal environment for sustainable living, strong urban design, generous landscaping and shared open spaces.”
Our proposed ‘Blue Zone’ based model would be bespoke to the Kāpiti region, developed with locally-led leadership under the guidance of tangata whenua in order to co-design a model of community living that is authentically aligned with the indigenous ethos of Te Whare Tapa Wha.
Our Guiding Principles
Who are the key stakeholders in Kāpiti Airport?
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Puketapu Hapu
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Emergency and civil defence services
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The Kāpiti Coast District Council
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Kāpiti Aero Club
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Air Chathams
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Templeton Group
What public support is there for retaining Kāpiti Airport?
Through public opinion polling, we have seen strong support from Kāpiti residents for retaining the airport as a strategic asset. We are guided by the interests and concerns of our community as a whole, and so we champion a thriving, sustainable airport, state-of-the-art aviation facilities, climate conscious buildings, trailblazing technologies and open spaces that enrich lives.
Following public consultation on the Long-term Plan 2021–41, The Kāpiti Coast District Council committed to exploring what role they might have in the future of the Kāpiti Coast Airport. The Council is committed to retaining and growing regional air services in our district.