1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Question for you. Is originaire and Westport part of a 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: wider regional issue in rural New Zealand. Now Origin's Westport 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,239 Speaker 1: to Wellington flight is in jeopardy. It is not the 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: first small airline in the first small town to face 5 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: this trouble. In fact, as a result of this trouble, 6 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: the government set up you might remember, the Regional Investment 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: Fund for essentially airs services. I suppose the key is 8 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: the word essential. I mean, as Westport to Wellington escentral. 9 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: The fund, it is suggested, is going to turn the 10 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: airline down for help. Why I don't know. So we 11 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: seem to have a sort of a rock and a 12 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: hard play scenario. Is life on the coast about mainly 13 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: Hoko Tika? I mean you can fly from Hoka Tika 14 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: if you've checked that out? Is that good enough? Add 15 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: the insurance issue on the coast and as well, how 16 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 1: many hurdles does a region need before it becomes a 17 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: little bit hard, before you essentially just need a whole 18 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: lot of government support to keep the lights on. It is, 19 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: of course, the cold hard reality of a small country 20 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 1: with a small population that's decided rightly or wrongly, to 21 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: spread themselves all over the place. Numbers matter. Planes need 22 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: to be full, businesses need demand. The equation has to 23 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: make sense. How much air connectivity is the right about? 24 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: What about freight versus people? What about product to market 25 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: that requires speed not the volume of say a trainer 26 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: or a truck. How far should you have to drive? 27 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: I mean, Hokatik is not far away. In fact, irony 28 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 1: of ironies, it could be quicker to go from Westport 29 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: to Hokatika than it is from north of Auckland to 30 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: the south of Auckland where the airport is. We do, 31 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: once again, though rightly or wrongly, expect a lot in 32 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: small town New Zealand. We love the quiet of the country, 33 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: don't we in rural New Zealand, just with all the 34 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: first world services and conveniences. If you wouldn't might It's 35 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: also true to say that small towns all over the 36 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: world have the same issues, places like Australia with its 37 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,199 Speaker 1: size even more so than US. But if you don't 38 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: have an airlink, and you don't have insurance, and you 39 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: can't find a GP and the dentist is in the 40 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: city on the other side of the Alps, you get it. 41 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: Where you get a tipping point don't you where it 42 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: all starts to become a little bit hard, Is the 43 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: coast or parts of it in danger of that very scenario. 44 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: For more from The Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 45 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: Newstalks at B from six am weekdays, or follow the 46 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: podcast on iHeartRadio.