A REDEVELOPED Moruya Airport could create more than 100 new jobs for the region if yet another Moruya Airport master plan, approved by council on Tuesday, comes to fruition.
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The plan involves eight stages of development at a cost of $20.9 million and sets out a long-term vision for the airport to increase tourism and commercial facilities.
It follows a Moruya Airport concept plan approved in 2006.
The stages include additional commercial space, aviation tourism accommodation, hangar spaces and airpark residential sites.
The plan also allows for any future need to move the airport terminal from its current location to the western side of the runway.
Expansion of the existing terminal facilities will be required over time.
Stage one of the plan includes redeveloping the southern side of the precinct, including a fire-fighting operations base, five aviation business hangars, a premium business operation hangar and 20 operational hangar lots.
The cost of stage one is expected to be $1.4 million.
Stage two will include a range of different private aircraft storage facilities and will cost $1.6 million.
The next step in the project is the development of a business plan to confirm the financial viability of each phase in detail.
The master plan states funding options include both private investment and government grants.
Council is applying for grants from the NSW tourism infrastructure fund and the Australian Government’s stronger regions fund.
Moruya Airport accounts for one of every three of Rex’s South Coast passengers, with Merimbula passengers accounting for two-thirds of the demand.
Mayor Lindsay Brown said the plan did not commit council to any development but acted as a road map for future planning.
“The staged timeframe of the plan will allow council to make a decision on how to proceed at each step,” he said.
“The airport is a vital economic, social and medical link between Moruya and Sydney for the Eurobodalla community and (currently) provides employment to 25 local people.”
The development of the master plan follows consultation with stakeholders and the community, he said.
During the 42-day consultation period, 10 submissions were received; six were supportive, two were neutral and two were against.
