Toowoomba Aerodrome: Heated scenes as council votes on facility’s future

There have been chaotic scenes outside city hall as more than 50 supporters of the Toowoomba Aerodrome gathered ahead of a controversial council vote on Tuesday.

Toowoomba City Community Airport group president Matt Handley protests outside city hall before a council meeting to discuss the future of Toowoomba City Aerodrome (also known as Toowoomba Airport), Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The future of the Toowoomba Aerodrome is safe for now following a decision from council, amid chaotic scenes outside City Hall.

More than 50 users, tenants, workers and supporters of the Toowoomba City Community Airport rallied outside the council’s chambers on Tuesday morning before the meeting in to demonstrate support for the asset while it was under a financial review from council.

TCCA president Matt Handley could be seen yelling phrases into a megaphone like “wake up, Geoff (McDonald, mayor)”, and was nearly barred from entering City Hall before being allowed up.

Toowoomba City Community Airport group protest outside city hall before a council meeting to discuss the future of Toowoomba City Aerodrome (also known as Toowoomba Airport), Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The crowd was so large, much of the gallery had to view the meeting from the adjoining mezzanine floor of the Annex next door.

It follows news that the council had met with officials from Wellcamp Airport to ask about the potential of relocating some or all tenants at the aerodrome.

The meeting was the culmination of months of pent-up frustration from business owners and workers at the site, who feared the council was planning to close the airport down.

Ultimately, councillors voted to endorse the second of five options, which would see the aerodrome continue while a review was taken to “ensure leases, fees and charges are commercially competitive and in line with similar aerodromes”.

Another detail review would also examine cost recovery, while councillors amended the motion to include a review into the TRC’s own operations and services to look at the multitude of benefits to the community.

Council meeting to discuss future of Toowoomba City Aerodrome also know as Toowoomba Airport, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Finance and business strategy general manager Ann-Marie Johnston said the financial review revealed ratepayers were subsidising to the tune of nearly $1.5m to maintain the TCCA.

Her other options were for council to consider continuing normal operations, implementing a full cost pricing system, privatising the aerodrome or closing it down at a future date.

But the discussion in the chamber revealed as many as three of the options were either impractical or potentially unworkable.

Councillors Edwina Farquhar and Melissa Taylor pushed for a review into council’s own operations at the aerodrome, with the former criticising how it had been handled over the years.

“I believe we’ve let the community down by mismanaging this,” Ms Farquhar said.

“If we’re going to make a decision on financial viability when we haven’t run something properly, there’s a bit of a problem.”

Mr McDonald said he was happy with the outcome, which he believed gave “surety” to users while addressing the sustainability issues of the asset.

“Council decided with a unanimous decision to continue operating the airport and make a cost recovery model over the next couple of years, looking at the financial and non-financial benefits,” he said.

“Clarity has been given here, there were five options and councillors decided over the next couple of years to look at the options and look at the cost-benefit analysis of financial and non-financials for the region.

“The review has been through one lens and that’s the financial lens.

“That’s just the income expenditure, money coming in and going out and what the bottom line is.

“This should give surety to the operators at the aerodrome and should give them confidence about the future investment of the site.”

TCCA president Matt Handley said he was happy to see a clear intent from the council for the site, but wanted to see a more open dialogue in the coming years.

He also believed the TRC should allow the construction of more hangars, which would improve the financial situation.

“It’s a step in the right direction — if the council wants to move the airport in line with others, they should open up more hangars,” Mr Handley said.

“The more leaseholders we have, the more aviation we can do.

“We’ve still definitely got to work forwards and get the leases sorted out and we need to improve the financial position.

“We’re open to engagement and we have all along — what upset me (during the review) is there has not been stakeholder engagement with any of us.”