GUERNSEY’S airport runway will be repaired at a cost of £81m., the States decided yesterday.

After more than a day of debate, including three unsuccessful and one successful amendment, the States voted through Public Services’ proposed runway rehabilitation project.

However, there was still strong opposition from a number of members.

Deputy Jan Kuttelwascher, whose sursis last December led to the revision of the entire Public Services report, said at least £12.6m. had been shaved off what the original project would have cost.

He claimed Public Services’ report remained riddled with inaccuracies but he would vote on the proposition, ignoring the quality of the document.

‘I don’t like the report, which is lacking in many areas, but I am not voting on the report, but the propositions.’

Deputy Graham Guille said he could not support something that would not serve Guernsey’s future.

‘Do you honestly sign up to the vision that the future will be business as usual?  Look on the television, airlines are losing billions.’

‘We should go back to the Guernsey way, of living within our means.’

An amendment placed by Deputy Shane Langlois, which would have directed the Public Services Department to go back to the drawing board and return with a true baseline proposal, lost by only two votes.