Up in the air

With the intention of creating a smart and sustainable economy, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, in conjunction with the Queensland Government, has consistently expressed a commitment to build a strong and prosperous community, ensuring that the region secures its own long-term economic future. The importance of the region’s aviation industry for the future of the local economy cannot be understated however, the facilities seem to be shrinking as there is still no decision on an alternative site for the Caloundra Aerodrome.  

A vision for Queensland to become an aviation and aerospace hub for the Asian Pacific region was fast becoming a reality, with reports there had been a decade of unprecedented growth in the State’s aviation industry. Significant investment and expansion of a number of Queensland’s regional airports is testament to the ongoing confidence in the growth potential of the aviation industry sector.

The mounting pressure caused by the rapid population growth in Far North Queensland influenced a rise of business development and infrastructure at Cairns Airport - currently rated the fifth busiest airport in Australia. Domestically, it is serviced by Qantas, Virgin Blue, Jetstar and Alliance with over 30,000 seats each week while in total over 16,000 seats per week are available to fly into Cairns from overseas.

Closer to the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast Airport currently offers direct services throughout Australia, Asia and New Zealand on Air Asia, Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Pacific Blue, Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways. As at April 2009, the Gold Coast Airport serviced a total 494,995 monthly seat capacity.

The growth of the industry has also underpinned the development of Caloundra Aerodrome as a consortium of aviation and support organisations, which are also recognised as key contributors to South East Queensland’s aviation sector.

However, official planning documents have assumed that the Caloundra Aerodrome will cease to exist in future years, with the businesses based at the airport informed that their leases will not be renewed after 2014.

While the Sunshine Coast Regional Council continues to plan for development over the existing Aerodrome site, plans for a relocation site remain vague.

Sunshine Coast’s Division One councillor Anna Grosskreutz said that for a number of years, the State Government had been planning for a potential new airport somewhere between Caboolture and the south of Caloundra.

“There are significant infrastructure issues to work through with the Government,” said Cr. Anna.

“(However) recent advice from the principal project officer for the study has confirmed the Caloundra and Caboolture Aerodrome Replacement Study is progressing,” she said.

“If this is the case, there could now be a preferred site from the five previous sites identified.” 

Phase One of the study, which was released in October last year, outlined five possible relocation sites for the Caloundra Aerodrome. They included the Bells creek Road area, Coochin Creek, Johnston Road, Donnybrook and the existing Caboolture Aerodrome.

Cr. Anna said the announced progress of the Study could indicate the next stage of the project, involving a detailed environmental assessment of the preferred site and preparation of the Aerodrome Master Plan.

Despite the steps forward, more than 10 businesses with about 150 employees at the Caloundra Aerodrome have been forced to operate their companies under an ominous cloud of insecurity. Between them, the businesses host globally-recognised avionic maintenance facilities, a diversity of fixed wing and rotary operators, and state-of-the-art training centres.

Sunshine Coast Enterprises chairman Bill McDonald said it was very difficult for the businesses currently at the airport to expand and grow in their area, without knowing their future.

“While the airport serves commercial aviation flights and helicopter operators, the businesses located at the airport provide for a niche market that is most valuable in promoting a focus on education, training and skills in aviation,” said Bill.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Queensland Institute for Aviation Engineering is just one of the companies based at the airport and is the largest, fully accredited training facility in the State where students can learn aircraft repairs, reconstruction and manufacturing activities.

In 2007, Olympian Grant Kenny acquired the Chopperline flight training school located at the Caloundra Aerodrome with the intention of expanding his Curry-Kenny Aviation Group, which is now Australia’s largest private aviation business.

In addition, two hectares of the Caloundra Aerodrome is occupied by the Queensland Air Museum, which displays a history military and civilian aircrafts dating back to the 1930s.

Sunshine Coast Enterprises CEO Gerrie Carr-MacFie commented that the Queensland Air Museum supported a number of volunteers through employment which increased the social values of the business.

However, Cr. Anna confirmed that once the Caloundra Aerodrome was closed, she would be committed to ensuring the Queensland Air Museum stayed in its current location.

“I see no reason for the museum to shift to another location and it could have development around it without compromising its operation,” she said.

Beyond the closure of the Caloundra Aerodrome, Bill was most concerned for the future availability of educational, recreational and commercial aviation services for the Coast’s growing population.

“Where will they go?” he questioned.

According to population and housing figures released by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council in May 2009, the estimated residential population of the Sunshine Coast was 312,804, with projections indicating that by 2016, the expected population would grow to reach between 367,900 and 400,000.

“The southern end of the Sunshine Coast will take most of the future population for the next 50 years,” explained Cr. Anna. “The Council has endorsed their planning position paper for 50,000 future residents to live south of existing Bellvista.”

Despite residential figures that exceed Cairns and rival the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast’s airport infrastructure appears to fall short in comparison, especially with the closure of Caloundra Aerodrome.

The existing alternative is Sunshine Coast Airport at Maroochdore, which is the principal commercial airport for the region with a terminal capacity to service just over one million passengers each year - or under 2000 seats each week. However, due to a major difference in markets and services, it was not an option for all the aviation-related businesses at Caloundra to relocate to Sunshine Coast Airport.

One of the biggest worries for local communities in the areas of the proposed relocation sites had been noise pollutions from the aircrafts, particularly helicopters.

“Residents have always had an opinion on aircraft, with the strong anti-opinions mostly about helicopter noise,” said Cr. Anna.

“The manager of the Sunshine Coast Airport and I have been working through this issue since I took over the watch of the Caloundra Aerodrome after the March 2008 election,” she said.

“We have put in place different flight training circuits for the helicopters and … plan to spend more than $130,000 to create new helipads to ensure the helicopters stick to their new flight paths away from the residential areas.

“We also plan to establish a ‘community and aviation group’, which will meet from time to time to sort out any contentious issues.”

Gerrie from Sunshine Coast Enterprises understood that it was always going to be a problematic task to relocate an airport.

“It is always going to hurt someone, somewhere,” she said. Gerrie added that it shouldn’t be the businesses that suffer because through primary operations and support services, they are key contributors to the local regional economy.

Bill said that the diverse businesses in local aviation industry added value and were compatible with long-term economic sustainability and urban planning.

“It is fitting in what we are trying to attract in knowledge-base industries,” he said.

 “The Caloundra Aerodrome offers a unique and ideal business environment for the local aviation industry, which provides a solid platform for employment opportunities and wealth creation.”

A solid decision in support of those affected businesses will prevent them from slipping away, which would prove to be a loss for the Coast.

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