Central Coast Council’s decision to approve an Airport Masterplan requiring the “investment” of tens of millions of dollars is a colossal waste of ratepayers money.
Even if the optimistic estimates and assumptions in the business case prove correct, the document forecasts a cumulative deficit for the next 10-14 years.
In reality, there will be deficits much longer than that because cost blowouts in public sector capital projects tend to be far higher than the 15% allowed for in the sensitivity analysis.
And let’s not forget delivering this complex project within budget will be the responsibility of a Council senior management that has a poor track record delivering even basic services efficiently and effectively.
The masterplan was approved eight votes to seven ( at Council’s February 25 meeting).
Team Central Coast councillors, who claimed to be Independents during the election, once again voted with the Liberals in an “eight-pack” – as they do in every significant vote.
It is particularly irresponsible to commence the project without specifying where the money will come from.
Will it be funded from higher rates? Extra borrowing? Or reduced capital spending on other things such as roads?
They either don’t know or aren’t saying.
Despite overblown claims in the masterplan, there are no benefits for the vast majority of ratepayers.
The airport is tiny with a 5,700kg weight restriction.
It cannot handle significant commercial passenger flights or freight, so how can it possibly be a significant driver of economic growth or job creation?
The main beneficiaries are a relatively small number of increasingly politicised aviation enthusiasts.
For the vast majority of ratepayers, already paying higher rates for worse services, more important priorities would include fixing the roads, improving water quality, and reducing the backlog of outstanding development applications.
Email, February 27
Kevin Brooks, Bensville
should upgrade warnervale airport put the council as no vision for the future
This money sink costs the rate payers 150k per year and now we are going to increase the deficit for years to come. Don’t be fooled, this isnt the the benifit of the average Central Coast rate payer. The average punter doesn’t have to worry about where to park their Cessna for 20 odd dollars a day. This whole thing is so some fat cats get to play with their toys at our expense. I say scrap the whole thing and expand the industrial zone and bring some real jobs to the Coast.
So we are looking at around $150k per year, divided amongst 340,000 ratepayers A that equates to.. 44 cents per year.
44 cents per year is 0.8 cents per week per ratepayer, to ensure RFS, air ambulance and flight training are catered for, as well as the future of our region having an airport.
Are people really upset over 0.8 cents per week?
I didn’t know preschool children paid rates.
Peter, I need to point out that there are not 340,000 ratepayers in our council area.
But more relevant is the fact that a group of people have had and are getting a free ride at the ratepayers expense.
They are operating a facility which is not available to 99.9% of residents at the ratepayers expense.
What other council provided public facility which takes up multiple hectares of land and has a going concern running on it costs ratepayers $158k a year ? That’s probably $1.5 million in the last ten years. That’s not chicken feed!
Most people are not against the airport !
User pays is the norm, why have council failed the ratepayers on this one?
chicken feed!
Most people are all for the airport but it should be a user pays system.
If 1 job is created 0.8 cents per week is cheap.
it’s not 0.8c as not everyone in the population pays rates mate. There are a lot of jobs that are needed in Council that would be more useful like processing DA’s. this whole project is for the rich end of town to play with their toys whilst the rest of us struggle to pay for groceries. sell the airstrip or bulldoze the thing and put some factories there.
The Council should sell the Airport. its a money sink and brings no real value to the average rate payer. Its just a parking lot for a few peoples expensive toys.