Rockhampton Airport to spread its wings and test international waters

Published on 25 July 2017

Rockhampton Regional Council is looking to test international waters at the highly successful Rockhampton Airport with a six-month trial of international flights proposed to begin next year.

Mayor Margaret Strelow put the initiative forward in a mayoral minute today requesting an action plan to be prepared and said that while the Airport already has the capacity for charter flights, this would be a more targeted opportunity for international freight and international passengers.

This call for action coincides with the Council nominating Central Queensland as the Nation’s ‘indicative supply chain’ to inform Australia’s Federal policy and investment for export beef.

Mayor Strelow said exporting local produce from the Rockhampton has been an ongoing conversation for many years and now is the time to put the wheels in motion.

“We could write feasibility studies until we are blue in the face but the best way to know our opportunities for our airport is to trial them,” Mayor Strelow said.

“This is a relatively low risk, low cost, toe in the water venture that will allow everybody who understand the opportunities to test the waters.

“We are in a brilliant position that we don’t need a big capital spend in order to operate international airport, we would only need to cover the costs of customs officers and possibly some incentives to get a kick-start.”

Mayor Strelow added that Council’s Economic Development team had been working with small crop producers looking to support their growth and understand opportunities that could leverage their businesses.

“I would envisage if the trial is successful we will move fairly quickly to make permanent arrangements, and we would also need the support of the Federal Government. We would also be looking at grant programs to help us and to help our businesses to expand our horizons,” Mayor Strelow said.

“The timing is deliberate in that we want people to work up to and have plenty of lead time to become involved in this venture.

“This is a blue sky moment for us to just see where this opportunity may lead us, and I think if ever there was a time for us to do it, that time is now.”