The revelations last week that it appears likely British Aerospace has missed out in the tender process for the next lucrative 25-year defence force basic flying training contract has sent shudders through Tamworth business circles.
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It has also obviously rocked federal, state and local government political leaders.
Everyone was holding their breath for months, while, according to some, expending a fair bit of it on lobbying and talking up Tamworth’s blue chip credentials for an estimated $2 billion contract spinoff that would cement aviation’s significant standard in our profile.
It’s not a foregone conclusion of course if BAE has missed the boat, so to speak. And the federal government cabinet, as the executive power, can override any tender recommendation from the Australian Defence Force, but it would take a very substantial and loaded argument to do just that.
The cabinet would in effect have to argue significant financial, social and practical reasons for going against the tender process decision.
New England federal MP Barnaby Joyce said months ago he’d go to war if BAE won the tender and then didn’t locate the training facilities in Tamworth, even while it had put in a two-site tender application for both Tamworth and the RAAF-based site near Sale in Victoria.
While he was prepared to fight it, Mr Joyce prefaced his warpath position with an important rider – if BAE lost the tender, he couldn’t do anything about it.
And so it might come to pass.
Our high flying past as a centre of aviation experience, including an illustrious history and heritage, will take a big hit.
It’s been 25 years since the development application by the then-British Aerospace Enterprises to establish an air training college at the Tamworth airport was first approved.
It has built on the first business blocks and now runs a number of flight training contracts.
The ADF one, of course, is the foundation stone and underwrites the huge investment BAE has in Tamworth, including employing some 115 people, the training of about 80 pilots a year, and the business spinoffs of millions to the Tamworth economy.
Indeed, while it owns its buildings, it pays over $300,000 to our council for the land it operates its accommodation and administrative divisions from.
Since the story was first broken in The Leader last week, civic leaders have been particularly sanguine in their reaction.
Perhaps there’s some shellshock there too, but they’ve been upbeat about doors closing, other doors opening.
Targeting opportunities in the face of adversity will no doubt be occupying their action plans right now.
