A bid to persuade Qantas to establish a $20 million pilot training academy at Dubbo is gaining support from within the city as the field of potential contenders widens.
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Regional Development Australia (RDA) Orana chairman John Walkom has added his full support to Dubbo vying for the base, expected to open its doors in 2019 and train up to 500 pilots a year.
Qantas announced the facility in February, saying it was likely to be established near an existing airfield in a regional area and had the potential to grow into the largest academy of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
It’s sparked a race among city halls up and down the country to secure the centre, including at Dubbo.
Mr Walkom this week said RDA Orana was keen to work with Dubbo Regional Council to bid for the training base.
He made a case for the city - which he regards as the capital of regional NSW - as a top choice for the facility.
“Dubbo offers a regional airport in a great urban environment with all the existing infrastructure, along with satellite option sites at Mudgee, Bourke, Cobar, Lightning Ridge and Narromine,” he said.
“Dubbo is a blank canvas where they would be competing for air and runway space.”
Read more:
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Mr Walkom anticipated benefits would flow to the Orana region as well.
“The potential this has for the region is enormous and includes job creation in the service industry around the airport, skills training opportunities in the aviation space and the potential use of rural community airports for training,” he said.
“The Orana is a vibrant region of growth, and an aviation academy would be an ideal addition to the local landscape.”
On February 26 the council authorised its general manager to submit a business case to Qantas for the establishment of the academy at the city’s airport.
It also voted to write to Qantas boss Alan Joyce to express interest in landing the base at Dubbo, and to make representations to federal MP Mark Coulton and state MP Troy Grant about bringing the facility to Dubbo.
Armidale Regional, Glen Innes Severns, Tamworth Regional, Bathurst, Orange, Cessnock, Federation, and Albury are among the NSW councils that are in the race to secure the facility.
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
