Airports - A Thing Of The Past?
 

The ABC has discovered there are things called airports that are under threat.



Will Australia's small airports soon be a thing of the past? - RN - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Don't tell me thorn bird finally got an ABC journo to listen to him?

Hardly think so Lefty.
You can't beat the big end of town, subverting the law is cheap with so much money to be made.
When local councils are prepared to flog off their parks to development sharks
what chance for airports? there won't be much aviation left to use them anyway.

Same thing at Jandakot. When you have the likes of Haliburton, GE, Aldi and K-Mart as your tenants. Why would you give a frig about aviation.

Heard someone mention recently that there is a bit of a kerfuffle going on at Benalla airfield of late. Something about the rents increasing 'somewhat.'

Latest at Benalla: Land lease now $5 per square metre per year plus GST plus fire services levy and public liability insurance for the dirt under your own hangar, with no power, no water and a flood risk.

Six months to sign the lease, otherwise remove your hangar, or it becomes Council property. You have to sign a five year lease minimum. Lots of people and the gliding club fighting it.

Seems to be the strategy these days, infiltrate local council to flog off the land to your building developer mates, then retire to the Gold Coast with your kickback millions and call it living.

Aah Councils... No 'belt tightening' or seriously pushing for efficiencies or cutting back wastage in their own operations..just find another niche to 'suck the bucks' from.
..regardless of the financial consequences to the targets.

Yes, in Benalla's case it is Council trying to make up for financial ineptitude in other areas. But fees like this will probably drive people away and they will actually get less revenue.

Even with the previous admittedly cheap rates, the number of new hangars going up ar BLA over the last decade has been...erm...one.

I suspect that as the older members of GCV retire from sailplane flying, there'll be far fewer to replace them at Benalla. Then the developer spivs will pounce accordingly.

But everything is now for sale in Sydney. Our NSW government loves it. :sad:

Yep, that's what's going to happen eventually. Ironically, a senior Benalla Council member was med-evaced by air to Melbourne from Benalla airport recently due to an urgent medical issue.

Still won't budge on the lease rates though.

Here's an opportunity for someone to save katoomba:

https://tenders.nsw.gov.au/?event=pu...s-20170924-M-O