CCBR Business Review

8 Central Coast Airport - What Council is hiding from Coast ratepayers AFTER ALMOST 30 years in the wilder- ness the Warnervale (now Central Coast) Airport is back on the agenda, thanks to the Central Coast Council under Administrator Ian Reynolds. During the period under Administration council took a fresh look at the Airport as an opportunity to create employment growth and drive the economy. As a precursor Council in 2014 took back management control of the airport from the Aero Club and carried out some much needed works in the interests of safety which included repairs to the airstrip as well as erecting a security fence around the site and carrying out extensive and overdue drainage works. At the same time Council started work on a Concept Plan engaging aviation and engi- neering consultants who have carried out extensive studies that, for the first time, pro- vide a total picture of the value of the airport to the Central Coast region. The completed Concept Plan was pre- sented to the new Central Coast Council at its 27th November 2017 meeting with the recommendation that it be placed on Public Exhibition. Amazingly however the Independent and Labor Councillors who are opposed to the airport voted not to go public – even though the whole Concept Plan is in the Council Papers. The point being that they do not want to hear what ratepayers think of it for fear it might be a positive outcome. In summary, the Plan states the Central Coast Aviation Hub will provide an inte- grated aviation, manufacturing, research and education precinct that encompasses the airport and surrounding land to comple- B U S I N E S S N E W S ment the primary aviation usage. Its devel- opment will relieve major general aviation demand across the Greater Sydney Region with opportunities for general aviation, cor- porate, business and training sectors. Its development would see a new econom- ic sector for the region stimulating employ- ment and economic activity with growth in skilled and professional jobs of around 109 to 116 new jobs annually and when completed from 700 top 950 jobs onsite. It would see an increase in the regional economy by $290 million at net present values. The Hub’s immediate role will be to ser- vice the general aviation, manufacturing and aviation training sectors. The development of the CCAH will offer the regional aviation sector a new and unique opportunity for expansion and collaboration in a low-cost development environment that is conducive to long-term investment. Site constraints will limit the airport to general aviation and corporate and regional airline operations. In March 2017 Council called for Expressions of Interest from the aviation sector to assess the level of interest from the industry. 137 companies registered their interest and 35 put in EOIs and have progressed to non-binding Letters of Offer. They include: 8 x tourism, 4 x private users, 3 x maintenance and repairs, 1 Government contractor and 1 Fuel supply company. Amphibian Aircraft Industries has DA approval for an aircraft manufacturing facil- ity on land adjacent to the airport which they have leased from Council. If this pro- ceeds AAI say they will be employing 300 people by their 3rd year. Labor councillors threaten region’s future A move by Labor Councillors at Central Coast Council’s January 15th meeting to decrease the number of objec- tions required for a Development Application from 50 to 15 has got the Central Coast business community nervous threatening the region’s future. The immediate effect will be that any DA objected to will be stalled for 28 days on top of the existing cur- rent delays. In terms of the Coast’s building industry, which is only now recovering after being held back by former Labor Government policies and Gosford Council’s anti business policies over twenty years, the damage will be con- siderable. CCBR has been told that motion was put up by the Labor Councillors sup- ported by Clr Greenway and the Mayor. Those who opposed were 4 Liberals plus Councillors Mclachlan, Best, Holstein. Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch has called the Council to reverse the decision. “I am very disappointed by this ill-conceived change which Labor rushed through Council at the very last minute,” Mr Crouch said. “It is concerning that Labor’s petty politics and lack of vision could pose a real threat to the Central Coast’s future.” Statistics from the NSW Government’s Central Coast Regional Plan show that the Central Coast’s population is set to rise to 415,000 in 2036. Meanwhile housing supply is required to grow to 2,075 per year in order to keep pace. “This growth in residential hous- ing also provides vital employment opportunities to local tradespeople and young apprentices, which is also being threatened by Labor’s change,” Mr Crouch said. Mr Crouch said that instead of placing a handbrake on growth, all levels of Government should be work- ing constructively to deliver for the region’s future. “Now is the time to encourage responsible and sustainable growth in housing supply so that the projected needs of our Central Coast commu- nity can be met,” Mr Crouch said. “Central Coast Council’s own figures indicate that Development Approval times are slowly starting to improve, and this reckless change by Labor threatens to derail any progress,” Mr Crouch said. CENTRAL COAST BUSINESS REVIEW FEBRUARY 2018