Pic: David Martinelli Source: The Courier-Mail
No one likes being delayed at an airport, but in Brisbane it is an all too frequent occurrence. The city’s airport has the worst record in Australia when it comes to delays.
A parallel runway is sorely needed but the Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) is refusing to commit to the project until the airlines that use the airport agree to collect millions of dollars from passengers to part-fund the $1.3 billion project.
The Federal Government is threatening to step in after Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said that construction of the project was “a matter that is of vital importance to the Queensland economy and the national economy.”
The decision to actively monitor BAC’s progress on the runway could place the corporation in a position where it would be in breach of its long-term lease with the Commonwealth and flirting with legislation that forces airport owners to prioritise spending on aviation.
Now one of Queensland’s wealthiest families has had enough and is building its own airport.
The site of the new Toowoomba airport. Pic: David Martinelli
The $100 million-plus Wellcamp Airport, on the inland city’s western outskirts, is the dramatic solution of the Wagner family, who have made their fortune from the construction, infrastructure and engineering sectors.
This will be more than just a regional airport. Although designed primarily as a gateway for fly-in fly-out workers and charter services to and from the booming mining and gas regions of the Surat, Galilee and Bowen Basins, the plan is to implement regular scheduled passenger services and turn the airport into a business hub and destination in its own right.
The Council has given approval for a 2.87-kilometre runway which will enable jets as large as Boeing 747s to land. If construction proceeds on schedule, the facility should be in use by the second half of next year with the expectation of handling 500,000 passengers per year by 2019.
Not everyone is happy about the plans, however. The Department of Defence says it could seriously jeopardise army aviation training at Oakey, roughly 15 kilometres away.
“Army aviation bases are structured to allow low level military aircraft to train without restrictions,” a Defence spokesman said at the end of last year. “The project has the potential to significantly impact on army aviation training and operational capability due to the proximity to restricted airspace. There are also considerable safety concerns with regards to air traffic control procedures.”
A conceptual image of the entry to the proposed Wellcamp Airport.
Despite these concerns Toowoomba Regional Council gave the green light and John Wagner is confident of success.
“It is bold,” he said. “This will be a total game-changer for Toowoomba and our region.”
Wagner said discussions have been held with airlines and a lot of early scepticism has washed away and the airport could provide much-needed capacity to Brisbane.
“We don’t know how the whole Brisbane Airport situation will play out,” Wagner said. “At best, their new runway will not be ready until 2020, or 2022 more likely.”
The former Wellcamp Downs racehorse stud lies directly in the path of the runway and now everything from the property’s 80 stables to its tractors and hay balers must be sold before grading of the runway can continue.
By Justin McGar
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