46 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Taupō District Council: Taupō Airport Terminal Building New terminal a big boost for Taupō T T Karen Phelps T T to page 48 Taupō may be traditionally known for its thriving tourism industry but increasingly a range of business owners are seeing the town as a place to set up shop as the region experiences a boom, says Taupō District Council senior communications advisor Andy Taylor. Key projects in the region, such as the airport terminal and town centre transformation projects, will provide a further boost to industry, he says. “The town has a lot of vibrancy and a range of people are moving here. There is just so much going on in the district and businesses are expanding,” he says. The airport terminal has not only provided a boost to businesses directly involved in constructing the project but also business based at the airport and surrounds stretching into the local township. Andy says local contractors have been used where possible including Watts Construction and architects Stephenson & Turner to ensure economic benefit stayed as local as possible. The Airport upgrade has a budget of $9.24 million, funded with $3.4 million allocated in Taupō District Council’s Long Term Plan, a $5 million grant from the Crown’s Provincial Development Unit, and $870,000 from the Ministry of Transport. The new terminal will be approximately three times larger than the existing one and offer a sizeable car park. “The hope is that the experience of arriving to and departing from Taupō will now make a really positive impact,” says Taupō Airport operations manager Kim Gard. Taupō is a well-established sky diving destination. 07 378 4157 / 0274 714 793 info@wattsconstruction.co.nz www.wattsconstruction.co.nz Watts Construction is proud to be working with the Taupō District Council on the new Taupō Airport Terminal project.
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