Push to close Toowoomba Airport YTWB

[fly_tornado]

The local paper is running a story about closing the local GA airport in Toowoomba.

 

The local newspaper is the mouthpiece of the council and the national party so this story doesn't get up without a reason. The spruiker must have wind of the sale because his time is money and he wouldn't be letting his name be associated with the sale without the promise of a sale at the end.

 

This story will popup every few months over the next few years to slowly woo the locals over with the financial windfall due to the value of the land.

 

I'd say this is definitely the start of the end for YTWB

 

'We don't need two airports': Council should sell aerodrome

 

2 COMMENTS

 

 

The Toowoomba Aerodrome.Bev Lacey

 

USE THIS CONTENT

 

 

by Tom Gillespie

 

THE Toowoomba Regional Council could make more than $100 million by selling the City Aerodrome to property developers.

 

That's the opinion of Toowoomba property consultant Gordon Grover, who declared the long-time airstrip superfluous to the city's needs.

 

Mr Grover, the director of Specialised Property Consulting, said Wagners' Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport was already satisfying the region's commercial air needs, and the aerodrome's clients should be moved there.

 

 

Specialised Property Consulting director Gordon Grover.Contributed

 

"It makes no sense to have two airports competing for the same services," he said.

 

"It's such a massive underutilised space - it's prime land in one of the major growth corridors in Toowoomba.

 

"It's a 52-hectare site, which if you only got housing lots on 50% of that, there's $65 million in potential revenue for the council."

 

Mr Grover, who has acted as a consultant for the Queensland Government and companies like Aldi in the past, said Wagners would likely be happy to take on extra business.

 

Deputy Mayor Carol Taylor said there were no plans to sell off the aerodrome.

 

"With more than 25,000 aircraft movements per year, the Toowoomba City Aerodrome is vital to the general aviation sector of the Darling Downs region and further afield," she said.

 

"The Toowoomba City Aerodrome provides a number of aviation ancillary services and facilities, with around 30 businesses operating at the aerodrome.

 

"The aerodrome is an important site for the Royal Flying Doctor Service with 285 landings in the 2017/18 financial year.

 

"The aerodrome is a major public asset with the Toowoomba Aero Club serving as a valuable pilot training centre."

 

 

[derekliston]

I suggest that all aviators with an interest in Toowoomba airport and in retaining it as a GA facility, take note of this property developer’s name and should the opportunity arise, make his life difficult!

 

 

[Yenn]

Is Toowoomba airport one of the government airports that was given to the local authority, to be used for aviation purposes?

 

If so it is time for the feds to make sure it is not gobbled up by greedy developers.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

this is from their linkedin page, so something is afoot. I could speculate who is spending money at this moment to grow this project but that would just be speculation.

 

 

 

[Super Cub]

Quote ....'We don't need two airports': Council should sell aerodrome.

 

So if they sell Toowoomba Airport, then all GA operations, including training, circuit training, private flying etc, will be transferred to Wellcamp, and at the same costs).

 

Most International Airports are trying, (or have already), got rid of GA operations.

 

Stupid comment by someone looking at their own self interests over what's best for the Community.

 

Unbelievable!

 

 

[robinsm]

Is Toowoomba airport one of the government airports that was given to the local authority, to be used for aviation purposes?If so it is time for the feds to make sure it is not gobbled up by greedy developers.

seen it constantly. Goulburn is a classic case. Only one airport in the area and gifted to council from the feds (airport was originally gifted as an airport for a small sum by a local family many years ago.). Council sold to a developer with conditions. Local GA and Ultralight flying, and hanger owners, are taking a hit with hanger owners in a constant stated of war with the new owner over excessive fees and charges by him. as well as runway restrictions when the owner feels like it. Not a pleasant place to fly from any more and time has seen pilots and aircraft slowly disappearing from the area. Local councils can only see the money, people don't matter any more.

 

 

[Gravity]

Most understand that GA is a very small part of business interests Australia wide so we don't really figure in the big picture especially with councils. That along with CASA one day in the future GA will be a luxury only affordable by the very wealthy, enjoy it whilst you can!

 

 

[mnewbery]

THE Toowoomba Regional Council could make more than $100 million by selling the City Aerodrome to property developers

And if Mr Grover who has been a company director for all of five months is wrong, will he underwrite the difference between what he says is achievable and what the council profit actually is?

 

Didn't think so

 

 

[mnewbery]

Something else for those with a crystal (meth) ball to gaze in to...

 

Let's presume distributed propulsion systems on aircraft get a leg up and a VTOL style air taxi service between Brisbane and the inland is established. If this happens, Toowoomba would be an attractive place for an MRO of these sorts of commercial aircraft. Not to mention training of the operators. This is not the sort of circuit traffic Wellcamp wants, nor their neighbours the Army.

 

I feel the aviation landscape will have changed so much in ten years that it will be unrecognisable today and if YTWB is there it will be part of the new mix. Certainly beyond my imagination and I get paid to think big.

 

But then again, the skies aren't dark with flying cars yet either.

 

Damn you, crystal (meth) ball!

 

If Fartnado should be listened to, the flying cars and the RFDS will land on and be stored in a multi-story carpark near the redeveloped Bailey Henderson heliport/hospital.

 

 

[facthunter]

You only sell off an airport once. You won't see tall buildings levelled to build an airport. Local Councils constantly try to get rid of airports and so do ratepayers associations who are usually anti-development. and see the nuisance factor as the main reason to oppose. They are all happy to go in the air ambulance when it's needed for them though.. Government should have retained control of airports. That's obvious in retrospect. Developers get into (or get THEIR candidates in) Local councils. and then you see crook things happen. NSW has laws to prevent Developers directly donating to the State Government for the undesirable effect that has . Nev

 

 

[Friarpuk]

All one has to do is start rumours that the land is contaminated with something toxic and then the land won't be worth a cracker. We own a house at Oakey and despite the fire supresant condemnation being only one small section of land downstream of Oakey, houses there aren't worth anything.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

It's been suggested that the contaminated soil at the airport could be dumped into the Acland mine once it closes, good for Toowoomba not so good for Oakey. The good news about the Oakey contaminated water scare is no one is buying property in Oakey, Dalby house prices, on the other hand, is in freefall

 

 

[cscotthendry]

Specialised Property Consulting director Gordon Grover.Contributed

 

"It makes no sense to have two airports competing for the same services," he said.

There's the trick right there at the start. If you start with a false assumption, you can make any kind of case you want for any intended outcome. The two airports aren't competing for the same services! YTWB has a completely different set of aircraft users to Wellcamp. I think this is a case of a developer seeing a nice flat clear piece of public ground that he/she wants to get their hands on and seeing $$$. Airfields are cheap land for developers to build on. No pesky trees to have to be careful about, lots of flat open ground that's easy/cheap to develop. And if you use the right arguments, (like woohoo look at all the lovely land taxes the council will get) and "No one uses it anyway, and oh by the way, here's a nice fat donation for your election campaign, the developers can "take that burden off your hands" for peanuts, then reap (rape?) millions out of it.

PHUEY on greedy developers and lazy councils.

 

 

[Gravity]

Easy fix for loans not to be developed, stick a dog bone in the ground somewhere with part of it sticking out, yell sacred site & it's all over!!

 

 

[Friarpuk]

Not sure of your logic. I would say it is neither good for those wanting to keep toowoomba airport open if the soil can be removed, nor good for Oakey folk, most of whom support the aviation base and the mine to keep their town alive. Not to mention folks like myself who have had their house on the market for years and have not been able to sell because of the bs the Chronicle and television media have been stirring up. Ironically I work in the media, for the same mob that owns the Chronicle and detest where journalism has gone over the past 3

 

It's been suggested that the contaminated soil at the airport could be dumped into the Acland mine once it closes, good for Toowoomba not so good for Oakey. The good news about the Oakey contaminated water scare is no one is buying property in Oakey, Dalby house prices, on the other hand, is in freefall

[fly_tornado]

The council is prodevelopment, closing the airport means revenue for the council and jobs for the locals...

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Council documents reveal future of region's aerodromes

 

COUNCIL tender and draft lease documents have provided an insight into the future of two rural aerodromes.

 

Toowoomba Regional Council revealed last December that it planned to lease the air strips at Pittsworth and Millmerran on the back of "constant inquiries about the availability of the land", according to previous reporting by The Chronicle.

 

 

The Cirrus SR20 on approach to Toowoomba Aerodrome. Photo Andrew Backhouse / The ChronicleAndrew Backhouse

 

"Those sites can start as hard-stand areas, like gravel or grass, (but) in years to come, if it gets a lot of use, we'll look at getting it sealed," infrastructure services general manager Mike Brady said at the time.

 

The draft lease documents, however, reveal stipulations for any potential future tenant at either site including clauses at both facilities that require the successful applicant to construct an aircraft hangar.

 

"The Lessee shall within 12 months of the date of execution or commencement date of this lease...undertake and complete the construction of an aircraft hangar in accordance with plans and specifications approved by and to the satisfaction of the Council," the draft lease document reads.