Aerodrome fees on agenda again

Midway through last year, the Aerodrome Manager started a trial to collect aerodrome data, using an AVDATA Broadcast Recorder, which recorded accurate aerodrome usage data.

This data was used to inform Council of what maintenance, renewals and upgrade programs could be expected in the future. The Echuca Aerodrome currently has no income stream to support or offset the provision of this service, so the data collection also presented the opportunity to consider user fees and charges.

Since that time, benchmarking landing fees from aerodromes in Bendigo, Shepparton and Swan Hill was undertaken, with reports made available to Councillors.

In March, a letter was sent to all known Echuca Aerodrome users, hanger owners and the Echuca Aero Club, asking for feedback on the proposed changes, which was taken into consideration.

The user fees have now been adopted. Aeromedical or emergency service aircrafts are exempt from landing fees.

The motion was put forward on Wednesday night by Councillor Rob Amos and seconded by Councillor Paul Jarman.

Echuca Aero Club’s David Wearne spoke ahead of the vote, referencing the letters and petitions sent in by concerned local traders and visiting aviators.

“The aerodrome is primarily an essential community facility and it’s required for the air ambulance to service all our residents and visitors in the area day and night,” Mr Wearne said.

“This includes many Murray Shire residents, though I understand that their shire contributes nothing to its upkeep.

“Perhaps a well-worded formal request from the Echuca shire council to resume assistance may yield a greater revenue stream than the net income from the proposed landing fees.”

Mr Wearne also said aero club members paid rates on the commercial shed at the aerodrome, and that this should be a fair exchange for use of the runway.

“In the interest of the wider community, I urge you all, as councillors, to vote against the introduction of these landing charges at Echuca,” he said.

Cr Amos said the landing fees were about fairness across the shire.

“Anyone else who has a commercial shed on a piece of land in Campaspe Shire pays rates on that, and that is fair that they pay rates,” he said.

“With your $240 fee, we are talking about $5 a week — I don’t think that is unreasonable,” Cr Amos said.

“When the aero club has functions, it has the ability to apply for grants to assist with any costs that might be involved with that.”

Cr Amos also said council was in the process of trying to provide a significant upgrade to the aerodrome, which he said would be of “great benefit to the users, whether it be the local users or the fly-in events”.

Crs Daniel Mackrell and Leanne Pentreath spoke against the motion, with Cr Mackrell saying the fees presented an inequity.

“I feel an inequity: the biggest user groups are not going to pay,” Cr Mackrell said.

“It’s a toll for transport for some people and not for others.”

Crs Mackrell, Pentreath and Zobeck voted against the introduction of the fees, and the motion was carried by Crs Weller, Amos, Jarman, Weston, Marwood, and Gates.