City wants jet-capable airport despite Defence views

REPORTS of the Department of Defence's resistance to a privately-funded jet airport on the city's doorstep have sparked debate within the Toowoomba community.

REPORTS of the Department of Defence's resistance to a privately-funded jet airport on the city's doorstep have sparked debate within the Toowoomba community.

Defence officials have failed to answer requests for information about why there is opposition to the proposed Wagners project in Wellcamp Downs.

Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce president Andrew Wielandt.

Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce president Andrew Wielandt made the business community's opinion very clear.

"The Toowoomba Airport only had about 13,000 passengers last year," he said.

"Compare that to Maroochydore - a smaller region - which had 130,000 passengers.

"And we've only got 10% of the passenger movement of the Sunshine Coast.

"Is that what we aspire to?"

The Defence debate has been behind closed doors, centring on issues with shared air space at the Oakey Airport and the Amberley RAAF Base.

The new airport would force them to amend their flight management systems, but Mr Wielandt said it was an unfortunate necessity.

"If you've got someone like Wagners willing to put their hand in the pocket, we should be doing everything possible to support them," he said.

"The previous and current councils should be congratulated for seeing through the extension of the airport runway, but it is not the long-term solution.

"We're a city of 120,000 people, projected to grow to something like 250,000 by 2031.

"But we have an airport with only 13,000 passengers a year.

"We can't afford to pass up this opportunity."

Shared air space between the Oakey Airport and a proposed Wagner airport at Wellcamp Downs has stirred a debate.

Comments from our online readers:

• There is currently one commercial service to Sydney each day. One. This may go to 2-3 if Wagners proposal goes ahead. Wagners are not planning to replicate Heathrow - Lucifer, Newtown
• The sky is not the limit. This is a smart investment which will help every one of us to move forward. - Cron1, Toowoomba City
• As someone who often travels on business and is forced to drive 2 hrs to Brisbane before catching a flight to my destination, I can tell you that Toowoomba is being held back by not having a suitable airport that operates flights to destinations where you can arrive before lunchtime - Alq9853, Kearneys Spring
• The Defence Force needs to take a little Wagners advice and HARDEN UP - Such-is-Life_83, Darling Heights
• So Toowoomba is the second largest inland city after Canberra in the whole of Australia, even larger than some of the coastal cities who do have their own major airports, and we have no adequate airport, no passenger rail service and no decent public transport system. I don't care who makes money from developing an airport as long as one is done and done properly - sherryhaines, Meringandan West
• Stop the nonsense and start using the Oakey Airport for what it was originally built. It was funded by the taxpayer, previously used by commercial aircraft, and there is absolutely no reason why it can't be again - KatteeC from Australia

Originally published as City wants jet-capable airport despite Defence views