Unfortunately Tasdev, Wynyard has always been the lowest denominator of the North West ports.
Even when I worked there with TN we were the underdog due mainly to the local working class mindset. Passenger numbers were always below DPO by at least 10%. You will recall Rex serviced DPO (kendall too) for a time but chose to retreat to BWT and have generally made a good and obviously profitable fist of it. The SF340 is a very nice aeroplane, a little skittish in high temperature approaches but great to fly on so there is no problem there.
As for Boganport - have you been to Burnie (actually Planet Burnie) lately. things have become worse since I left there many years ago. the average IQ is room temperature on a good day and Centrelink is the town hot spot. Not good.
I agree that the Rex fares are fairly prohibitive and there is a fair bleed to DPO with the Corporates we have down there. The fact that their cheapest fares are only available via their web engine also makes them unatractive to book as flexibility is lost for any changes. Speed can be of the essence and having to log in and wait, wait, bloody wait is annoying when things are instant in any GDS.
LST may have been a backwater for aviation if the Bodgie and the fat Prick hadn't conspired to delay deregulation. One down and one to go and I will then make the pilgramage to dance a jig on their graves. If EW had taken delivery of the first 3 F100s that were on the production line then all hell would have broken loose.
25% of each load ex DPO was coming out of the LST catchment and the loads were good and the yield was above expectations.
There is reverse leakage out of the coast to LST these days as will happen. Much of it is ferry Fodder - those who would normally ride the housing commission taxi. That used to happen in the past with the nonstop LST SYD and LST OOL flights before EW arrived.
Now the shuttle service is $70 per person each way to get from DPO to LST the leakage may slow as QF regularly throws in special fares - current being $89 each way to MEL over a specified date range.
Best regards
EWL