TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW WITH JACINTA COUNIHAN, 7NEWS RIVERINA, 14 FEBRUARY 2024

Subjects: Wagga Wagga Airport

E&OE 

STARTS: 12.00pm

JACINTA COUNIHAN

Michael, can you please just tell me to start what is your hopes for the outcome with the Wagga Airport?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, I do hope that the Federal Government recognises the fact that Wagga Wagga City Council has operated the Wagga Wagga Airport for many, many years. It is the gateway, not only to our city, but indeed to the entire region and that should be respected. That ability for Wagga Wagga City Council to operate the defence-owned airport should be able to continue. Of course, Council has gone to Government, to Defence, requesting a long-term lease. But anything over and above 20 years means it has to go out to public tender, public offer.

What happens or could happen then is who knows who might purchase the rights for a 50-year plus a 49-year option for the running of the airport. What happens then is the Council at the behest of the new owner if they are not the successful bidder, then does Rex and QantasLink be charged exorbitant rates to land and to take-off at Wagga Wagga Airport. These are all questions that need to be answered.

What I would like to see is Wagga Wagga City Council be able to be offered an up-to-20-year lease for the Wagga Wagga Airport. So, they have got that security and certainty. We are certainly asking questions of the Government, in that regard, making sure that Council can still operate as they have successfully done. But also have the tenure of the Defence over the Wagga Wagga Airport, because if Defence doesn’t own the land on which the airport resides, then I do fear that indeed the Government and Defence could actually look at the operations, even though there are multi-hundreds of millions of dollars being spent at Airforce Wagga Wagga, that indeed we might potentially, a long way down the track, lose RAAF Wagga. We can’t afford that. We need to have that RAAF presence that we have had since the late 1930s. That needs to be solidified. That needs to be continued, but Council also needs to have the lease, and that security and certainty of the airport going forward.

JACINTA COUNIHAN:

So, what’s happening today?

MICHAEL McCORMACK:

Well, the Senate Estimates and Defence is in Senate Estimates and I’d like to think that there will be questions asked of Defence, as to the tenure of the airport.

JACINTA COUNIHAN:

Is there an expected outcome? Is there any way you were thinking it would go?

MICHAEL McCORMACK:

Well, these things don’t just happen at a moment’s notice. These things take time, these things take negotiation. There’s a lot of discussions to be had and obviously Council, myself, and Defence – we are all involved in that. Obviously, the Government plays a part, because, at the end of the day they are the ones who are pulling the strings. I have impressed upon the Minister responsible, Matt Thistlethwaite, of the importance of Council being able to continue to run and operate the airport. He also knows my position on Defence still owning the land on which the airport exists and let’s see what happens.

JACINTA COUNIHAN:

Thanks Michael.

Ends 12.05pm