Fear not residents of the Eastern Ward, Ritchie’s got your back. Helene Ritchie, a Northern Ward councilor who lives in the Lambton Ward has featured on One News talking about how extending the Wellington Airport runway could have a negative impact on Eastern Ward residents and the harbour.
While some of the new crop of candidates have said extending the airport should be the number 1 priority to shock some life back into the local economy, Labour aligned Ritchie has obviously decided to fight it.
Who exactly is she representing when trying to stop the extension? Will the Labour councillors distance themselves from her? Was the airport discussed at the recent Labour regional conference which Ritchie attended? What does the actual Labour councillor for the Eastern Ward, Leonie Gill make of this?
It seems extraordinary that after so long on Council, Ritchie is trying to stop an idea that seems like an obvious way to spark Wellington. Is handwringing and naysaying really all she has to offer after all this time?
Ritchie was first elected in 1977 and was appointed deputy mayor in 1986 (see pictures below). I’m still hopeful that Wellington’s best days are ahead of it, but you can’t help but think Ritchie’s best days on council are behind her… like 30 years behind her.
We don’t need 1970’s thinking. The Fokker Friendship that would no doubt have been a common sight for Ritchie in 1977 won’t cut it. If Wellington wants direct flights to Asia and to make the most of Air NZ’s investment in a fleet of Boeing 787’s, it needs a longer runway.
WCC Watch 
Reblogged this on strathmorepark.
Helene Ritchie needs to FRO. The dinosaur needs to go. I will be marking ALL other candidates ahead of her on my ballot for the Northern Ward.
I think you’re overegging this a bit. The case for an expensive runway extension is far from obvious, and no-one’s demonstrated that there’s actually a strong demand for direct Wellington flights from Asia, have they? If proponents of the runway extension can demonstrate a good case then great, but at the moment it hardly seems a silver bullet solution.
Mind you, anything that might encourage 787s to land here is a good thing, but that’s just because I think they look cool…
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