Privatisation killing industry airports

[Litespeed]

Airport privatisation and CASA rules hurting businesses, owners and expert says - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[fly_tornado]

You'd have to have rocks in your head to invest in Australian aviation.

 

 

[facthunter]

True, but that's no secret .Nev

 

 

[turboplanner]

This all dates back to the "User pays" decision made by a previous Federal Government, which signed 99 year leases rather naively with developers, particularly at Bankstown and Moorabbin.

 

What has resulted is that the delicate balance between operating cost and income deteriorated, aviation people left those airports.

 

The developers looked to Commercial and Industrial rents, and that has set up a mix which squeezed out the small operators.

 

In Melbourne they migrated to the surrounding airfields outside the urban area, and tjose airfields appear to be economical, with one or two really thriving.

 

With less aviation income, the developers seem to have pushed commercial/industrial to the absolute safety limits of the airfields in terms of proximity.

 

Costco have built a huge warehouse almost directly off the end of 04 at Moorabbin; the upside of that is if you have an EFATO it's a good roof to go for because the heavy beams are a long way apart, and the cross beams will buckle enough to give you a soft landing.

 

With Commercial/Industrial at it's footprint limit, the next move is to screw more rent out of the aviation lessees, and so the circle goes round.

 

We are close to the point where we will never have a Van Nuys situation in Australia at these two locations.

 

 

[red750]

There appears to be hardly any of Essendon remaining as well. Multi storey office blocks, and a billboard preclaiming "Essendon Fields Private Hospital to be built here." The northern end of the field is now a multi dealer car sales area, and the southern boundary has Direct Factory Outlet superstore. The old car park is a shopping centre. There is even a public road which crosses a taxyway with barrier gates. There are now hardly any areas where you can get even close to a fence to take photographs.