strongly disagree with the council’s recent proposal to impose fees at the Armidale Airport.
Armidale District Airport is one of Armidale’s greatest assets which support the ongoing viability of our educational, medical, professional, research and IT industries, also helping to attract families to move here and keep in contact with their friends, families and their commercial interests. Armidale has attracted many residents who choose to live here but commute to capital cities to work. In our area, 10 families work outside the city and are dependent on the airport to facilitate their capacity to remain living in Armidale.
To financially penalise them seems short-sighted and puts at risk Armidale’s capacity to attract residents and new business.
Any loss of patronage will jeopardise the frequency of flights to Sydney, with the inevitable increases in fares and the less likelihood of any other airline providing competition on this route to help reduce the fares to be competitive with Tamworth’s fares. Charging a parking fee could also jeopardise the viability of Brindabella’s newly established services to Brisbane.
The ongoing prosperity is dependent on attracting regional residents to use Armidale to provide the support and facilities their local town can’t. This provides additional support to retail, services and tourism.
The cost of implementing and enforcing parking fees at the airport, with the inevitable loss of income from airport fees due to the reduction in patronage, appears not to be a sound financial decision, and risks alienation of the very clientele this community is endeavouring to attract.
In conclusion, anything which puts additional costs and restrictions on goods and services that Armidale provides will, in this highly competitive environment, put at risk the whole community.
Stuart L Mckern
