Relocate Toowoomba Airport

Toowoomba (Qld) is known world-wide as the Garden City of Australia. It is not a large, industrialised city on the coast but it is the second largest inland city in Australia (Canberra is the largest inland city and the capitol of Australia).

The residents of Toowoomba take great pride in maintaining the beautiful garden image displayed in their homes, parks, schools and workplaces. Is also home to many thousands of families with children. This means that the many schools located in Toowoomba are a high priorty activity.

So, why does Toowoomba have an airport located within the city boundary? This is an ugly blight on a city that has a reputation for environmental beauty and family life. It is also a safety hazard to every resident of Toowoomba. There have been numerous aircraft crashes over recent years some resulting in deaths.

The Toowoomba airport must be relocated outside the city boundary. Toowoomba people are hotly opposed to any suggestion that the airport be extended.

Toowoomba Regional Council has pursued investigations into relocating the airport but this has not progressed. TRC has indicated that the relocation of the airport is some 15 - 20 years away. This is too little, too late. TRC has done very little to date to facilitate its relocation and must formally adopt a resolution to relocate the airport. TRC must then seek partnerships with the relevant local, State and Federal authorities to make it happen!

The excuses offered by TRC for their inaction include:

* The Toowoomba airport cannot be moved unless the TRC is able to secure suitable land for an airport. To date any attempts to source such land has failed either because the land is not for sale or is too expensive.

* The cost for a new airport would be enormous. Even if we accepted the huge economic loss to business by shutting down the airport and selling the land where would the rate payers find the funds to build another airport even with substantial government assistance.

These excuse do not ring true - witness the hugely invasive/expensive Wivenhoe water pipeline. Did TRC ask the Toowoomba residents if they want this? No, they just went ahead and did it because it suited their agenda. The Toowoomba airport has not been relocated for the same reason - it does not suit the TRC agenda.

Some suggestion has been made that an agreement could be negotiated with the Federal Government to utilise the Oakey Base Airport. This is unlikely to happen as it would be inconvenient for TRC Councilers to travel to Oakey to board a plane. It is not on their agenda.

The current Toowoomwba airport should have been protected from residential development. TRC allowed this development to happen and now they must deal with the consequences.

Industrial land to the West of the airport should not have been developed. It not only has but now the industrial estate supports the economic development of the city (e.g. jobs). Nobody expect the industrial estate to move - it is the airport that must move.

Then the question must be asked, "Does Toowoomba need an airport at all?". Brisbane is becoming ever closer with the improvement in the road system. Your comments are welcome.