A FLIGHT school proposed for Glen Innes has received an overwhelmingly supportive response from the public. Photo: Fairfax
A FLIGHT school proposed for Glen Innes has received an overwhelmingly supportive response from the public.
Submissions on the development application for the Australia Asia Flight Training (AAFT) school closed last Friday, with Glen Innes Severn Council receiving about 650 letters of support and about 25 letters with concerns or objections.
Development, regulatory and sustainability services director Graham Price said issues raised included the impact of additional traffic on Emmaville Rd, the number of flights and days of operation, the sale of airport land to the proponent, the integration of the largely international student base into the community, and inadequate consultation with the public.
The submissions have been forwarded to the proponent for assessment and inclusion in the report that will go to the northern Joint Regional Planning Panel, which will consider the proposal.
Mr Price said the council would also respond to each of the submissions.
The proposed school would house and train up to 600 full-time students.
AAFT would lease the airport for 30 years and buy about 10 hectares of land from the council.
AAFT says the school would provide flow-on effects of more than $20 million for the area each year, and create more than 200 jobs in the first stage of development.
Construction on the school is expected to begin in January next year and be completed by June pending approval.