Toowoomba City Aerodrome users form new group as concern grows around financial review by council

Businesses and operators at the long-standing Toowoomba City Aerodrome want the council to publicly secure the asset’s future amid a financial review they have called “concerning”.

Representing the commercial tenants and hundreds of workers employed at the Toowoomba Aerodrome are (from left) Paul Coughran, Matt Handley, Glenn Atkinson, Annamaria Zuccoli, Kathryn Organ-Moore, Rodney Woods and Paul Gordon-Brander. The group is concerned about the Toowoomba Regional Council's commitment to the asset. Picture: Tom Gillespie

Operators at the Toowoomba City Aerodrome have called on the council to reaffirm its long-term commitment to an asset it says delivers millions in economic and community benefits to the city.

Tenants at the airport, which employ hundreds of people across dozens of hangars, have started lobbying the newly-elected council after formally organising under the name the Toowoomba City Community Airport group.

Among the members are LifeFlight, which operates $15m worth of rescues from Toowoomba every year, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service that flies into the airport three times a day.

The group believes the action is necessary following behaviour from the council it has called “concerning”, including a refusal to renew existing leases or permit new hangars to be built.

Representing the commercial tenants and hundreds of workers employed at the Toowoomba Aerodrome are (from left) Paul Coughran, Matt Handley, Glenn Atkinson, Annamaria Zuccoli, Kathryn Organ-Moore, Rodney Woods and Paul Gordon-Brander. The group is concerned about the Toowoomba Regional Council's commitment to the asset. Picture: Tom Gillespie

It comes after the council confirmed it had no “predetermined” view on the future of the aerodrome until it saw the results of a financial review of the asset — due to reach City Hall in June.

The review was reportedly sparked by concerns the council was “not recover(ing) the full cost of the aerodrome activities from revenue generated by leases/landing fees”.

Ms Zuccoli, whose family business Aerotec has been with the airport for decades, said that perception wasn’t true.

“The TA is an essential part of the functionality of our region, and we have to support this (so) it would be wonderful to see the continuing support of the council/bureaucrats that the airport has received in the past,” she said.

“Hundreds of jobs are created and maintained by our airport and this obviously sustains many, many families who live in our region.

“Very importantly, we have to acknowledge the essential elements of the community services that rely on our airport.

“Many aircraft owners donate their time and aircraft to do Angel Flights across Queensland – this enables critically ill patients to access their medical treatments in an easier, and quicker, way.

“Lifeflight’s busiest base, in the last financial year, was Toowoomba — the crews came to the aid of a record 725 people last year, which was just over 10 per cent of its Australia-wide call outs.”

Along with its emergency and commercial services, Ms Zuccoli said

Toowoomba Airport, officially called Toowoomba City Aerodrome. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Approved Aircraft Maintenance owner Paul Coughran, who has been a tenant at the airport since the 1990s, said residents were not made aware how much money visitors spent while they were in Toowoomba.

“The community probably doesn’t understand we’ve got clientele from all over Australia here,” he said.

“We’ve got a plane here that’s from the top end of Mareeba, they come here and see their professional services, he sees a doctor here and his accountant here.

“We’ve got other clients who visit their kids who are at boarding school here.

“(Everyone who flies into here on their plane), they’re getting a motel, they’re going out for dinner and they’re doing retail shopping and seeking professional services.”

Mr Coughran said the council was not being “transparent” with its intentions, saying this had a flow-on effect for the tenants.

The Cirrus SR20 on approach to Toowoomba Aerodrome. Photo Andrew Backhouse / The Chronicle

“We can’t expand our businesses and it makes you shy about employing more people,” he said.

The uncertainty comes as the future of the airport became a topic of discussion during the recent Toowoomba council elections, with newly-elected councillor Trevor Manteufel suggesting the site could be sold off for housing and services relocated to Wellcamp Airport.

Developer Ian Knox has also floated a proposal to build a new stadium on the site.

Ms Zuccoli said Wellcamp and Toowoomba were complementary assets rather than competitors, adding most services would either not fit or not be able to work next to commercial and freight flights.

“Wellcamp is a completely different type of airport,” she said.

“I doubt they would want three more flying schools, multiple businesses, and the community-based businesses there (and) they have the new Ghost-Bat program about to get into full swing.

“Their priorities are completely different, but we work well together.”

A Royal Flying Doctor Service Beechcraft King Air 200 is seen at Toowoomba Airport, officially called Toowoomba City Aerodrome, Sunday, November 5, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

In a statement, Toowoomba mayor Geoff McDonald said all tenants and users of the aerodromes with expired contracts were on month-to-month leases until the review was completed.

“Like many of council’s assets, the aerodrome is subject to an annual full cost pricing review for both budget and annual financial reporting purposes,” he said.

“Council decided at its February 2024 meeting to not seek tenders for new leases or confirm existing lease renewals for sites at the aerodrome until the financial review is completed and presented for council’s further consideration at the June 2024 committee meeting.

“Council does not have a predetermined outcome for the review and will fully consider any recommendations raised.”