Mount Gambier airport $9.2 million expansion to capitalise on growing tourism to the South East region

THE South East’s airline gateway is in desperate need of a major expansion to cater for the region’s growing tourism industry and to unlock economic opportunities.

Mt Gambier Airport general manger Ian Fritsch. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

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THE South-East’s airline gateway is in desperate need of a major expansion to cater for the region’s growing tourism industry and to unlock economic opportunities, according to community leaders.

The council-owned and operated Mt Gambier Airport has a partially funded $9.2 million plan to allow it cater for larger aircraft and additional services to the region.

The upgrade has been touted as being one of the South-East’s biggest infrastructure priorities to capitalise on the growth in the tourism sector.

The South-East hosts 550,000 visitors each year, according to SA Tourism figures, with regular jets flying into the airport from the US, Hong Kong and China.

“The increase in tourism to the area is our biggest target in undertaking this upgrade,” airport general manager Ian Fritsch said.

“We need to position ourselves to cater for that in a more efficient manner and we need to stay ahead of the times.”

The upgrade would include an extra 120m on the runway, a terminal refurbishment and expansion, new airport lighting and a new heavy apron to cater for Fokker 100s.

Mr Fritsch said James Morrison’s “Generations in Jazz” concert – attracting more than 4000 Australian and international artists each year – highlighted the need for a larger apron.

“Generations in Jazz wanted to fly their participants in but the problem we have is nowhere to park the jets,” he said.

“We have four heavy bays and Rex Airlines requires two. We plan to build a heavy apron so we can park four Fokker 100s on it and increase the number of aircraft we can have here at any one time.

“The last part is to upgrade the terminal and security screening has been mooted to happen at regional airports and we can’t do that here.”

The ability to cater for larger aircraft was also expected to benefit the region’s export industries, such as forestry, wine, rock lobster and agriculture.

The airport is solely serviced by Rex Airlines, which has passenger flights daily from Melbourne and Adelaide.

The last airport upgrade was to strengthen the runway five years ago but historic and outdated infrastructure, dating back to the 1950s, was still relied upon to provide key services at the airport.

The $9.2 million plan hinges on a $3.5 million grant application with the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund. The State Government has committed $4 million to the project, while Mt Gambier Council pledged $500,000, and Grant District Council, which owns the airport, has set aside $1.15 million.

Mr Fritsch said they were hopeful of the Federal Government grant given the airport upgrade had been scaled back from an earlier $15 million-plus plan.