Reaction: Mayor Amy Eden’s priorites questioned following airport bid vision

Mayor Amy Eden’s call for feedback on her “blue sky” vision for Cairns Regional Council to buy a small stake of Cairns Airport has yielded mixed reactions - with some councillors puzzled by the proposal.

Cairns Regional Council has a number of high capital expenditure priorities ahead incuding a solution for the destroyed bedminster at the waste facility, water security infrastructure and trunk infrastructure to expand housing estates.

Mayor Amy Eden’s call for feedback on her “blue sky” vision for Cairns Regional Council to buy a small stake of Cairns Airport has yielded mixed reactions - with some councillors puzzled by the proposal.

And experts suggest that due to the private nature of the business and the sale, should Cairns Regional Council form part of a consortium of bidders, it’s unlikely the profit and loss statements would ever be disclosed to the ratepaying public.

Ms Eden went public with her hopes of becoming a part-shareholder in Cairns and Mackay Airport and the Mackay Airport Hotel on Friday, as the first round of expressions of interest in the North Queensland Airports Group closed out.

The potential price of all the assets of the group is estimated at $3bn.

Ms Eden in her appeal said she was seeking feedback from the Cairns public, but had already received early positive feedback from local business.

“Cairns needs this type of blue sky thinking right now given we’re on the cusp of big things, whether it’s the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, increased engagement with the Pacific, and the broader development of Northern Australia,” she said.

However Cairns’ major advocacy bodies Advance Cairns and the Chamber of Commerce were both seemingly caught off-guard by the announcement, stating neither had official board positions on the proposal.

Advance Cairns chair Nick Trompf said it was unlikely his organisation would form a position, as it was “not on the agenda.”

Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden is considering a minor bid for North Queensland Airports Group.

While Chamber chief executive Patricia O’Neil said her personal view on it was “if the numbers stack up, then we encourage councils for investing in infrastructure like this”.

In her initial suggestion, Ms Eden acknowledged a lack of appetite from other councillors may prevent the idea from proceeding.

Some councillors said the first they had heard about the idea was reading about it in the Cairns Post.

It’s understood some councillors received questions from state government officials following the proposal.

Deputy Mayor Brett Olds said while he was “all for crazy ideas”, he believed the mayor had handled the announcement the wrong way.

Deputy Mayor Brett Olds believes random ideas can confuse the city’s peak bodies. Cairns Chamber of Commerce chief executive Patricia O'Neill, Advance Cairns chief executive Jacinta Reddan and Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Even if buying (part of) the airport is a good idea, I don’t know, but we have to practice what we preach - and we’ve been telling all our peak (advocacy) bodies that we need to be singing from the same song sheet,” he said.

“And I know this is just an opinion the mayor has thrown out, but there’s unintended consequences because the reality is everyone now thinks this is a council position.

“Because she’s the mayor, it’s more than just an opinion, it’s a big statement.”

Mr Olds said that off the back of the council asking state and federal governments for money for water and trunk infrastructure, “I’m not sure how this looks for them”.

“We’ve got smart people in the council that the mayor could have gotten advice from, I just think there was a better way to handle this before going public,” he said.

Aerial view of the Cairns Water Security Project Stage One construction site, north of Gordonvale. One of many projects the Cairns council is still advocating for. Picture Brendan Radke

Division 7 Councillor Anna Middleton echoed Mr Olds’ position and said “in this economic climate, I would not be supporting the bid”.

“We’ve got water infrastructure to focus on, we’ve got a waste facility to fix now, we’ve still got a shortfall in disaster funding, I don’t think we want to give the illusion we can pull off a $3bn sale,” she said.

“My understanding is the airport is progressing with the current bidders anyway, but even then, I think this is beyond core council business.”

Division 2 Councillor Matthew Tickner said the timing of the announcement wasn’t right, noting the council was still in “advocacy mode,” seeking commitment from the federal opposition for Cairns’ water security.

“The government made their commitment, but Anthony Albanese might not go to a budget (by calling an earlier election), so we’re actively seeking LNP commitment,” he said.

“Our partners who advocate with us, they need consistent messaging of what we need, the public need consistent messages. It’s great to have ideas, I support that, but it’s viewed a bit differently when it’s a $3bn airport.”

Originally published as Reaction: Mayor Amy Eden’s priorites questioned following airport bid vision