Nobody will say how many private investors put their hand up to take over a struggling Fiordland airport — not the council that owns it, and not the agency it paid to run the process.
Te Anau Airport Manapouri has cost Southland District Council an extra $2.1 million just to break even over the eight years from 2017-18 to 2024-25. The council has owned it since 2002, when it bought the airport from Air New Zealand for $401,000. It was built in the 1960s, originally by Mount Cook Air, to protect transport links into Fiordland and support regular passenger flights.
In 2023, the council brought in regional development agency Great South to turn things around. That work culminated in a six-week request-for-proposals period that closed June 12. What came back remains a mystery.
The council, asked how many proposals it received, said it didn't know. "The process has been contracted out to Great South so we do not currently have this information while the process is ongoing," it said.
Great South, when contacted, pointed back to the council. "Unfortunately, in this case Great South is unable to make comment, and your inquiry should be directed to Southland District Council," departing general manager Steve Canny said in an email copied to the council.
Local Democracy Reporting has since seen an email in which the council told Great South it was subject to the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, non-disclosure agreement notwithstanding. The council then recommended Great South decline to release the number of proposals, on the grounds the information would be available once the tender process wrapped up.
The council has since put out a media release saying proposals are being worked through, with meetings scheduled in coming weeks. Airport governance group chairwoman and councillor Sarah Greaney offered an upbeat read. "There's a lot of promising things in the pipeline with a whole raft of different opportunities on the cusp of coming together," Greaney said.
The bill for Great South's involvement across two phases has reached more than $429,000 plus GST — $65,605 over the council's own budget. On top of that, the council has spent $7.4 million plus GST on building and runway upgrades since 2024-25.
The plan is to shortlist proposals by July 31, with negotiations and approvals targeted by October 31. The council says it intends to hold on to ownership of the land and assets.