TAMWORTH’S airport facilities could expand once the BAE flight school leaves the city, according to Member for New England Barnaby Joyce.
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Speaking exclusively to Fairfax Media this week, the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed that he was in talks with a number of interested parties to take over the Australian Defence Force flying school base when it moves to Victoria in 2019.
A year on since the news broke that the city had lost the lucrative $2 billion, 25-year contract to Sale, Mr Joyce said he had been approached by a number of industries who were interested in not only taking over the space but expanding the existing infrastructure.
The MP said there had been behind-the-scenes talks on the future use of the facility, which is considered a driving force of the New England region’s economy.
“I’ve had talks with a range of bodies, we have a whole range of people who want to utilise the facilities. There are people with a strong interest in Tamworth right now,” Mr Joyce said.
“In fact they have an interest in Tamworth in such a way that we would have to expand the facilities here.”
Mr Joyce said the interest came from a wide range of businesses within the aviation industry.
They have an interest in Tamworth in such a way that we would have to expand the facilities here.
- Barnaby Joyce - New England MP
“These are flight training schools, these are also other people that want to use it for military purposes,” he said.
“The Singaporeans have also got a strong interest in the expansion of the facility and there’s also training schools from Adelaide who want to use it. It is hard to find a facility where you have both a parallel airport and boarding facility, and also a second control tower and spare airspace.”
The Singapore airforce currently takes part in regular training at the BAE facility.
The MP denied suggestions that the city could lose its control tower due to the departure of the Australian Defence Force.
“The facilities will still be used by the air force and they’re going to continue to be used by the air force until 2019, then we have other people lined up who want to take over the facility,” he said.
“I think it’s more to the point that we are looking at the expansion of the facility.”