Tyabb
 

Flew into Tyabb today, seems that the taxi ways, lights, new hangars, are all on a STOP WORK, spoke to an instructor in the office and was told that the $1,000,000 handout from the government was withdrawn after it was discovered there was a conflict of interests,could be very costly for the members.

Ouch!

Would that be state government money for development of regional aerodromes under MLA Riche-Phillips?

Alloverit, it would indeed appear that you are all over it.

VH-VDD

......

Suss!

So.... according to some, Tyabb should miss out because the former minister is a club member and aircraft owner?

And the pecuniary benefit obtain by said former minister is...?

Exactly correct OZ !

His tyres might last longer on the fresh concrete.. That would be about it.

He would get the benefit of the new facilities that may have gone to some other aerodrome. Conflict of interest is about any benefit, not just pecuniary.

What about the benefit to all the others at Tyabb? Representatives are supposed to support their local constituents. Pollies vote or promote lots of things that they will use personally like roads/bridges and heaven forbid airports..

It's disappointing as he rarely flies from there anyway. It would have to be Labours fault. It was cleared up early on regarding conflict of interest under Liberal.

Our former Minister did a fantastic job promoting GA in every way but i have to express my surprise that he did not step aside and arrange for one of his Cabinet colleagues to have carriage of the Tyabb decision.

I'm sure it would have stood on the strength of its submissions and been granted but politics is a raw game and you need to be seen as acting impartially as well as doing it in fact.

Very unfortunate and I hope an independent review will confirm the decision.

Kaz

But what about the benefit to the users of some other aerodrome that may have received the money instead? They've potentially been dudded as well. Regardless of whether he had influence over the decision, direct or otherwise, he was foolish not to step aside - appearances count in politics.

ABC interview:

Listen to the radio interview located on the page link below.

Victorian Minister Gordon Rich-Phillips defends million-dollar grant to private aero club - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

This is a pathetic and disgraceful attempt on behalf of the ABC to do its bit to help the labor party. This is demonstrated by the interviewer extracting the type of aircraft used by the former minister then editing in a grab from the promotion of the G36. It is contrived blown out sensationalism. :yuk:

Seems strange that they would have stopped work when they were well into it. Who paid for the work that has already been completed? The main apron has all been re-done and that wouldn't have got much change from a couple of hundred k.

You will find that the new Victorian Labor Government has put the brakes on every project and administrative decision of the previous Government, and I do mean everything.

The Tyabb grant, the Point Nepean lease and the East/West link are just the tip of the iceberg.

I know of one sporting club that has spent Ten years of planning, design and negotiation time over new facilities, had it recommended to the Minister by the bureaucrats, had the liberal Minister sign off on it …..and now, all of a sudden, the final procedural steps (a "mere formality" they were told) won't be taken as the bureaucrats have apparently changed their position at their new masters whim. There goes $20 million in investment, Ten years of work by the club and about 40 jobs as well.

The site they operate from will probably now become a centre for Lesbian interpretive dance or be sold to a property developer mate.

The grant was not withdrawn, not even for one second, work is still proceeding

He did step aside even before the application , it was handled by another section ,all above board

Good news, then!

I have it from Government circles that when the fuss blew up that the then Premier Napthine froze ALL payments from the Regional Aviation Fund. Then the election came before it was opened again.

Now post election, the public servants that were dealing with the Regional Aviation Fund have been re-deployed to other departments. At the moment there is no-one with responsibility for the programme. The Regional Aviation Fund has not even been allocated to a minister in the new Andrews government.

So, it is all in limbo, with no payments being processed.

Agree with Old Akro- although I have no knowledge of what's happening at Tyabb. I had a grant application in for fuel facilities at another regional airport and it just sat within the department. After the election all or most staff redeployed and we were officially told the Regional Airports Fund was on hold until further notice. There is a meeting of the Airports Association during Avalon airshow where the government will give an update, so if its not a state secret I'll advise the outcome.


And just to reconfirm what's been said. Gordon R-P achieved more real development of regional airport facilities in Victoria, and with a relatively tiny amount of money, than any politician in recent memory.

Cash
 

So, the works proceeding, great news, but as Old Akro said, has the government actually handed over any cash, rumor has it the clubs using all the cash from the sale of the training fleet to fund the works ? If so then that's a pity, the previous committee and management worked very hard to own and operate the fleet of " club owned " aircraft, seems the current financial wizz just sells off the clubs assets that were so important to the infustructure of that club.