Wagga council trying to avoid airport privatisation
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Wagga council trying to avoid airport privatisation
Community called on to support fight to secure airport’s future
Wagga Wagga City Council is urging the local and wider regional community to get involved in its fight to retain the lease on the Wagga Wagga Airport, beyond June 2025 when the current lease expires.
Council has launched an advocacy campaign for the Commonwealth Department of Defence to enter into a new and improved lease with Council to operate this critical community asset.
Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Dallas Tout is calling for broad community support for the fight to secure our airport’s future.
“We want to see our airport stay in the community’s hands; it plays a critical role as a social and economic lifeline for our whole region,” Cr Tout said.
“It provides essential services and connection for the region to the rest of Australia, for families, individuals, businesses, education and health services, along with aviation training, maintenance, and general aviation.
“The airport is currently run with a community focus and with the emphasis on prioritising and optimising the broader economic and social needs to keep costs low for residents and businesses.
“We are concerned that privatisation will push up costs and create another barrier for people in our region.
“We need your help to let the Commonwealth Government know how privatisation of this vital infrastructure would impact you or your organisation.”
Where other airports were gifted to communities, or sold to communities for a dollar, Wagga Wagga Airport is currently leased at around $200,000 per year, with any improvements to the airport paid for by the community but owned by the Commonwealth Government.
Article continues at https://news.wagga.nsw.gov.au/news-a...irports-future
Wagga Wagga City Council is urging the local and wider regional community to get involved in its fight to retain the lease on the Wagga Wagga Airport, beyond June 2025 when the current lease expires.
Council has launched an advocacy campaign for the Commonwealth Department of Defence to enter into a new and improved lease with Council to operate this critical community asset.
Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Dallas Tout is calling for broad community support for the fight to secure our airport’s future.
“We want to see our airport stay in the community’s hands; it plays a critical role as a social and economic lifeline for our whole region,” Cr Tout said.
“It provides essential services and connection for the region to the rest of Australia, for families, individuals, businesses, education and health services, along with aviation training, maintenance, and general aviation.
“The airport is currently run with a community focus and with the emphasis on prioritising and optimising the broader economic and social needs to keep costs low for residents and businesses.
“We are concerned that privatisation will push up costs and create another barrier for people in our region.
“We need your help to let the Commonwealth Government know how privatisation of this vital infrastructure would impact you or your organisation.”
Where other airports were gifted to communities, or sold to communities for a dollar, Wagga Wagga Airport is currently leased at around $200,000 per year, with any improvements to the airport paid for by the community but owned by the Commonwealth Government.
Article continues at https://news.wagga.nsw.gov.au/news-a...irports-future
The heading suggests that there's the prospect of Wagga being "privatised". Can whomever chose that title - AnotherFSO? - provide some more information on whether there's some information suggesting that Wagga may be "privatised"?
The usual problem in dealing with the Dept of Defence is that you're often communicating with some over-promoted child who doesn't have a clue about some issue that's been dumped in their lap - not their fault - and what we need to do is hold their hand to explain very basic concepts and a very simple way forward. Of course, that could all be thrown into disarray if there's already some foregone conclusion deal between interests of which we're unware (but would become plainly evident in future).
The usual problem in dealing with the Dept of Defence is that you're often communicating with some over-promoted child who doesn't have a clue about some issue that's been dumped in their lap - not their fault - and what we need to do is hold their hand to explain very basic concepts and a very simple way forward. Of course, that could all be thrown into disarray if there's already some foregone conclusion deal between interests of which we're unware (but would become plainly evident in future).
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Thanks AF.
It always difficult to work out whose statements are based on what level of knowledge. If Wagga is going to be "privatise[ed]" through some "commercial lease", we'll no doubt find out about that soon-ish.
It always difficult to work out whose statements are based on what level of knowledge. If Wagga is going to be "privatise[ed]" through some "commercial lease", we'll no doubt find out about that soon-ish.
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LB, agreed. And of course, that the council is trying this public relations tactic certainly hints at a rapidly approaching fait accompli. But at least they'll be able to throw up their arms and tell the ratepayers that they tried.
Submarine, aircraft, warship and missile salespeople rejoice. Dealing with defence is so much easier than taking candy from a child. Even they are embarrassed.
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Don't forget OneSky. Two children bereft of candy there.
But - of course and sadly - Mum and Dad the taxpayer ultimately pay for all the candy.
But - of course and sadly - Mum and Dad the taxpayer ultimately pay for all the candy.
"Mum and Dad the taxpayer ultimately pay for all the candy.".......
Over and over and over .........as 'Users, we pay again each time we use it - when 'we' built / paid for it / owned it in the first place.
Privatisation - the real scourge of the Australian economy.
Over and over and over .........as 'Users, we pay again each time we use it - when 'we' built / paid for it / owned it in the first place.
Privatisation - the real scourge of the Australian economy.
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To be honest, I’m incredibly surprised.
Surprised that Travel Rorts John Sharp hasn’t jumped on the media to start another Rex pity party about this.
They have lots of infrastructure in Wagga, and privatisation could end up costing Rex a fortune.
No doubt he’ll be along shortly, crying poor, it’s all Qantas fault etc.
Surprised that Travel Rorts John Sharp hasn’t jumped on the media to start another Rex pity party about this.
They have lots of infrastructure in Wagga, and privatisation could end up costing Rex a fortune.
No doubt he’ll be along shortly, crying poor, it’s all Qantas fault etc.
"Mum and Dad the taxpayer ultimately pay for all the candy.".......
Over and over and over .........as 'Users, we pay again each time we use it - when 'we' built / paid for it / owned it in the first place.
Privatisation - the real scourge of the Australian economy.
Over and over and over .........as 'Users, we pay again each time we use it - when 'we' built / paid for it / owned it in the first place.
Privatisation - the real scourge of the Australian economy.
The privatisation of the federal airports was a huge mistake. SACL alone making roughly $1.5b EBITDA off Australians every year.
Albanese was instrumental in turning Jandakot into a concrete jungle and so many tenants being kicked out of infrastructure they had built while he was the responsible Minister, same at many other airports in that time with Garrett happily waving aside environmental concerns..
So he has form. Good luck with him as PM, he has form when it comes to destroying airports and livlihoods.
So he has form. Good luck with him as PM, he has form when it comes to destroying airports and livlihoods.
I do find it interesting that for years there was opposition to an additional east/west runway at Jandakot because it was in an environmentally sensitive area. Then they just moved in and bulldozed everything for cheap warehouses. Don't know anything about Albanese and his involvement, but there were heaps of those Bandicoot things living in that scrub.
Don’t worry, “Jandakot Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (JAH) is committed to managing and conserving the native wildlife populations within remnant bushland at the airport.”
I’m not sure what remnants they’re referring to, the centre of the roundabouts?
I’m not sure what remnants they’re referring to, the centre of the roundabouts?
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Probably the corellas in the huge gum trees where there should be banksias
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I do find it interesting that for years there was opposition to an additional east/west runway at Jandakot because it was in an environmentally sensitive area. Then they just moved in and bulldozed everything for cheap warehouses. Don't know anything about Albanese and his involvement, but there were heaps of those Bandicoot things living in that scrub.
They decided not to build it but to lengthen the existing 12/30. There is now a massive Amazon warehouse in what used to be the environmentally sensitive area.
So what did Wagga Council think was going to happen when the lease expired? They were quite happy to spend the $5.3 million on the taxiway, knowing expiration was looming. Did they not enter into talks with DoD before now? Or is this all a massive surprise to them, in which case their diligence seems to be sadly lacking. Ah but...
Perhaps we as taxpayers should be demanding answers from DoD as to why they are only getting $200k a year from "our" asset, and making sure that DoD maximises "our" return on any future leasing deals.
According to the Financials for the year ended June 2023 Council made $4.1M in 2023 against a loss of $7.7M (of which $4.4M was depreciation, so is that a really a loss vs money in the bank?), leaving them with an airport that loses $3.2M a year (or a profit of nearly $1m if you ignore financial ephemera like depreciation). Maybe that's why they really don't want someone else to get the lease? I mean if someone else does, at least the ratepayers stop losing $3.2M a year (on paper).
Terms and conditions of leases:
Council leases land at Forest Hill for the operation of the Wagga Airport. This lease is for a 30 year period and does not include a renewal option.
Council leases land at Forest Hill for the operation of the Wagga Airport. This lease is for a 30 year period and does not include a renewal option.
According to the Financials for the year ended June 2023 Council made $4.1M in 2023 against a loss of $7.7M (of which $4.4M was depreciation, so is that a really a loss vs money in the bank?), leaving them with an airport that loses $3.2M a year (or a profit of nearly $1m if you ignore financial ephemera like depreciation). Maybe that's why they really don't want someone else to get the lease? I mean if someone else does, at least the ratepayers stop losing $3.2M a year (on paper).
Those numbers are chicken feed, TIEW. Don't forget, the DoD pays around $16 million per year to occupy premises built by DoD, and to land and park ADF aircraft, on land that the Commonwealth owns. It's called Canberra airport.
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They may be chickenfeed to DoD, but not to Wagga Council where the airport contributes 10% of their non-rates User charges and Fees based income. I would imagine that while the Council is the Leasee, they can also impose charges, rents, rates etc on airport tenants as well. Should DoD lease it to someone else, maybe that can't happen. I can see that Council stands to lose a lot of income should the lease go to someone else. I don't think their 'the community needs it" line is altogether altruistic.
Maybe they will end up with the situation like at Jandakot, where it was agreed to give City of Cockburn an ex-gratia payment for the loss of revenue from rate payers. A payment which is of course passed from the leaseholders onto the tenants. So we pay rates for...nothing. We do get the bins emptied, but that's charged separately.
Review_of_Valuation_of_Airport_Lands.pdf (nsw.gov.au)
Review_of_Valuation_of_Airport_Lands.pdf (nsw.gov.au)