The Sir Tim Shadbolt Terminal at Invercargill Airport was officially unveiled yesterday.
However, one of the longest-serving mayors in New Zealand’s history was not present.
His partner, Asha Dutt, and his son, Declan, represented him at the event.
"He feels he’s done his time in the public eye now and the tribute is enough. He doesn’t need to appear. Sir Tim is absolutely chuffed by it all. It couldn’t be more fitting.
"And Declan and I are stoked — we just feel so proud to be here to witness this tribute. It’s wonderful."
While she was pleased with the recognition, she said she was expecting some of the signs to be more prominent.
"I was surprised to see the external signage is probably smaller than we anticipated, so that’s maybe something we can build on for the future.
"If you look at the John Lennon Airport [in Liverpool], they’ve really made a feature of it. And I’d like some colour to reflect the colourful personality that Tim was — I think it can be tweaked. Definitely."
She would show Sir Tim the recording of the event.
In a statement issued by the Invercargill City Council, Sir Tim said he was pleased by the gesture.
"I’m touched. I see this as a badge of honour, not just for myself, but also for the citizens of Invercargill who took the punt to vote for a then outsider, with a different way of approaching issues, some 31 years ago," he said.
"I have always seen the airport as a key asset to the city, and it’s my hope that the airport continues to push the boundaries of how a regional airport can best serve its passengers.
"May Sir Tim Shadbolt Terminal continue to grow and forge the important connection which it provides between Invercargill and the globe."
Declan said he was honoured to be part of such an important event for his father.
"I’m just so proud of what he’s done and this whole thing is just very special to us. I’m just so happy that they honoured him in a place that was so special to him and that he spent lots of time at."
Invercargill City Council chief executive Michael Day said there were five signs acknowledging Sir Tim at the airport — one at the outside of the airport, one at the baggage carousel, one at the lounge area, one at the gates area and one at the ramp area, which welcomed all the passengers.
There was also a plaque near the cafe acknowledging the date of the renaming of the airport.
He said those were signs related to the terminal, but he said the key piece would be a storyboard which would be placed until the end of the year near the Air New Zealand check-in which will have pictures of Sir Tim and his story.
He said the budget was about $20,000, including the storyboard.
Mayor Nobby Clark said in a statement the name change was a fitting tribute to Sir Tim, who had been a director of the airport during his time as mayor, and was a leading proponent in extending its runway to ensure it was suitable for larger and international aircraft. He did not attend the event.
