At the July Council Meeting, Council approved a Business Case for the Maryborough Aerodrome, with an Advisory Group to be established to guide the management, development, operation and maintenance of the Aerodrome into the future.
In July 2021 Council appointed the six-person Taskforce to assist with the development of a Business Care and Master Plan around the future operation of the Aerodrome.
The Taskforce has since worked closely with an external consultant to inform the development of the Business Case.
Central Goldfields Shire Mayor Cr Grace La Vella said the business case confirms the value of the Aerodrome to the Shire and how it can create real benefits to our community and local economy.
“The Aerodrome is a sound asset with good foundations for ongoing use. The Business Case provides us with a clear plan for what we need to continue to do to maintain a safe facility.
“With a number of key risk and safety issues identified, the business case provides us with a three-to-four-year investment plan on how these improvements can be delivered through a mix of Council and external grant funding.
“In the short term, we have committed to addressing migration of kangaroos, delivery of battery backup for emergency lighting, upgrade of water supply for firefighting purposes to the site and resolution of a drainage issue to mitigate birdlife risk.
“It’s important for us to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of the Taskforce over the past two years. They’ve supported us to better understand how we can take this important asset forward and how it can best serve our community. We thank them for their dedication, time and commitment to this process.
“This group will now cease, with a new advisory to be set up to facilitate expert and community input into key projects to be delivered and support Council in ongoing operation of the site.”
The Advisory Group will be chaired by Central Goldfields Shire Maryborough Ward Councillor Geoff Lovett with an expression of interest for community members to join to be advertised in the coming months.
Council’s Operations team are currently addressing a number of actions on site – these include upgrades of dams in the precinct to remove birdlife risk and improve retention/sediment control outcomes at the site.
