Residential Airparks in Oz?
 

OK, I visited Temora last year and I've recently heard that there's a WAVE thingy up near that bustling hub of economic activity in FNQ with outrageous Melbourne-style prices on their freehold blocks, but what other residental airparks exist in Australia?

Are they viable as real estate developments in an on-going sense?

The Septics seem to love them, so why not (more) here too?

Does CASA take a dim view of the idea?

Comments?

Narromine seems better developed than Temora. Been a while since I passed through though.

They are not a popular as the States put it that way. Maybe they will mature over time but with the state of GA in this country I wouldnt be slapping my deposit down in a hurry. When you look at it, whats in it for the developers ?

Temora and Narromine? Great if you want to live in the middle of nowhere! Luckily you'd have an aircraft there, because you'd need it to get anywhere.

You would think that airparks on the coast would be more successful but the prices would be astronomical if you think Temora is expensive.

I thought Temora was pretty reasonable, XXX. I laughed out loud when I looked at the prices they were asking up at Airlie Beach airpark - nearly $600k for an empty 1000m^2 block, still in the middle of nowhere... :rolleyes:

Sadly Aeropelican is back on the selling block, that site would make a fantastic airpark/marina community..

There is talk over in W.A. of some developer doing airpark deals with the Shire Councils at Margaret River and somewhere else on the coast. Jurien Bay? Won't be cheap, but nice locations compared with the few existing ones which seem to be mostly in dust bowls when they are not being flooded. Problem for most of the existing ones is they are more suited to retirees because there is nothing for wife & kids to do. They are alright for the bloke tinkering with his P & J in the hangar.
I want one in Tassie. But it has to have a deepwater boat mooring as well, and cost no more than an average suburban house. Dream on.....

If you want one with boat access as well, try Pacific Haven at Howard (west of Hervey Bay). On the Burrum River.

Evan's Head.:ok:
Gatton?:eek:

There's one at Cooloola, near Tin Can Bay.

Only a small strip, looks like room for about a dozen houses, only 5 or 6 at the moment.

Watts Bridge would fit into this category wouldn't it. The facilities there look pretty good (for smaller a/c anyway).

With planes becoming less affordable and the cost of maintenance/compliancing escalating each year, you'd have to wonder why bother. CASA will soon have a 100% safe sky policy (no more GA) and we can all forget about aviation like a bad dream.:ouch:

PNG, despite CASA there's an awful lot of experimental aviating to be done here in Aus at a significant discount (and with bonus knots) compared to the creaking certified stuff.

Some of these fields look like good things, but they all seem to be in Queensland! (or so close they wish they were) Are they there because that's where all the cheap ex-WW2 airfields are?

The Evans Head one looks like it could be good, although IMO they're making a mistake trying to use it to bankroll a museum. That'll scuttle the whole deal at some point.

Temora suffers from a lack of visual planning, IMO, apart from being in the middle of nowhere. Why would you invest in anything more than a tin shed there, although some have. Anything more seems to be overcapitalising and therefore if you do build a house there your neighborhood isn't terribly pleasant to look at.

Having said all that, I wonder though if a real residential airpark movement could be swung into action to mitigate the effects of the corporatisation of the exisiting GA airfields. I'm thinking of a dozen house/hangars with perhaps a little bit of commercial activity and a comfortable runway length for the SEP's of the world. Perhaps more of a commune (asylum?) for aviation nutters?

Could it work in Victoria without having to have million-dollar properties?

Like at Latrobe Valley?

Wallan in Vic, being on the Hume fwy may have worked, except now the field has been, surprise surprise, subdivided.

I admit I've not been down there, but I can't see any residential option for the place on any of their websites. Have I missed something? Seems to be very commercially focused, which isn't a bad thing if the business is there. Commercial = certified aviation mostly, so by definition, expensive.

Belmont airfield (aeropelican) is for sale, $8Mill. would make a fantastic coastal airpark/marina, with close enough proximity for commuters to Newcastle Williamtown,and central coast.

How short could the runway realistically be in a residential airpark? I know this is a bit of a piece of string question, but say the general traffic was experimental/RAA with the odd Bo or perhaps Long-EZ or Lancair-type?

Is it the V-tailed Bo's that are the odd ones, or the straight tails? :E

Meggs seems to have it sorted down there :E

I know one bloke who's working on the airpark thingy in Vic ;)