Council ready to prove Rocky can go sky high
Published on 11 May 2018
Rockhampton Regional Council has today welcomed the announcement from Qantas that submissions to host its new Pilot Academy are officially open.
Mayor Margaret Strelow said Council was more than ready to demonstrate that Rockhampton is the perfect place for the $20 million academy, which will see over 100 students in its first year.
“We are absolutely raring to go, but to be successful we will also need the support of the State Government. I have been chatting to Qantas executives at Beef Australia today and they reinforced the need to secure State Government support as a priority.
“That said, we have had positive conversations with Qantas, helping us to make sure we can showcase the things they’ll need to make this academy a world class facility.
“Qantas is a company with whom we share values and would be delighted to partner with. They started in the outback, and have always been a strong advocate for regional communities.
“This academy, and the Deloitte study released today which shows Qantas makes an annual $5 billion contribution to regional Australia, really cements their reputation as regional champions.
“We are under no illusions – we know this process will be competitive and tough, with other regional cities bound to make some excellent submissions.
“However we know Rockhampton would make an excellent home for Qantas, and we are ready to prove it.”
General Manager of Advance Rockhampton, Tony Cullen, said that the many of the requirements Qantas have today indicated are already in place.
“There are things we are working hard on, but the great news is that we already have lots of the things Qantas need.
“For example, they need a minimum runway length of 1,300m – our primary runway is over 2,500m long and our secondary is over 1,600m long.
“It is not just the logistics that we have to offer. Our excellent weather, as well as the country lifestyle with city conveniences we have, makes Rockhampton not only the perfect place for aspiring pilots to train in, but also a place that they can make their home.”
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