THE campaign for direct flights to Melbourne has stepped up a notch with the official opening of the $21 million stage 1A upgrade of Port Macquarie airport.
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Port Macquarie-Hastings Mayor Peter Besseling was joined by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss and Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie to celebrate the milestone in the airport’s history.
Cr Besseling said the completion of the works has unlocked the region’s potential to accommodate larger jets.
“What this provides our area is the opportunity to drive our economic growth forward into the future,” Cr Besseling said. He added that the unveiling of plans for the new Charles Sturt University education campus this week, combined with the region’s solid tourism industry, will be the key driver’s behind the region’s growth.
Both council and Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie have been rallying several carriers for a direct service to Melbourne to further enhance the airport’s connection to metropolitan centres.
“And if the federal government looks at flying region to region to New Zealand we will most certainly put our hands up for that,” Cr Besseling said.
The project forms part of the Mid North Coast Regional Aviation Plan, which also includes improvements to Taree and Kempsey airports.
The upgrade to the runway, taxiway and RPT apron was funded through a $15 million federal Community Infrastructure Grant with $6 million injection from Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.
The efforts to secure the funding by former federal member Robert Oakeshott were acknowledged as were the contributions by Regional Development Australia, the local Chambers of Commerce and tourism bodies.
Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said the airport upgrade is proof to the aviation industry that Port Macquarie is open for business.
“By having a bigger and larger runway opens up Port Macquarie to other parts of the country and other parts of the world,” Mr Truss said. “Larger aircraft means more tourists, more businessmen and more people.”
Dr Gillespie said 122 jobs were created during the project’s construction phase with the upgraded facility now offering the potential to cater for more than 350,000 passengers a year by 2019.
“With this upgrade now complete, I have approached both Qantas and Virgin Australia about the potential for a new service direct to Melbourne and I have been particularly pleased with their initial responses,” Dr Gillespie said.
