A $10 million extension to Ballarat Airport runway will not be enough to secure long-term passenger aircraft, but it is hoped it will encourage more industry to move into the city.
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Earlier this month, the City of Ballarat voted unanimously to apply for a $5 million piece of a $100 million pie being offered by the federal government to regional airports.
READ MORE: Comment: Is an airport runway our most pressing need?
Should it be successful in attaining the grant, the council would also add $5 million, which would allow for a $10 million, 700m extension of the north-south runway to the south.
However, the increased length would not include strengthening of the current runway, which at this stage can only hold aircraft weighing 5700kg or less, or slightly more if permission is granted to land which would rule out many passenger flights in the short-term.
Australia's regional carriers including QantasLink's Dash 8, Q400 has a maximum take-off weight of 16,466kg while Regional Express' SAAB 340s weight maximum of 13,155kg on take off.
To make the runway viable for passenger use, it would require a full strengthening, which has been costed at $22.5 million.
READ MORE: Council votes on $5 million grant option
A similar upgrade at Mildura airport cost $25 million, while Bendigo's airport upgrade five years ago, which now sees it take QantasLink flights to Sydney, cost $15 million.
City of Ballarat's Director of Infrastructure Terry Demeo confirmed council's commitment to a 700m extension to the current runway was the first stage of a long-term airport activation.
"The airport is a project that's been on the books for many years, particularly focused around an emergency services hub. But this is a project that seeks to firstly build the initial stage of the runway to allow us to take advantage of the additional length for immediate business growth," Mr Demeo said.
"We wish to activate the air side land which will come online through BWEZ and deliver immediate potential to for the enhanced use of emergency services.
"In emergency services circumstances, could a loaded plane take off on the 700m extension, I understand that is possible. It doesn't take it to the degree we have envisioned in the long term, but it is a step in that emergency response.
Mayor Ben Taylor said the opportunity existed now to apply for the funds as the federal government had made up to $5 million available.
"We've got to take the opportunity comes up, because it's not about the capability of emergency, but general aviation," Cr Taylor said.
"That's why we've done the business case, it looks at additional benefits to the community such as sheds, maintenance and additional businesses associated with aviation, having that extra length runway does help."
Federal Labor MP Catherine King said she backed the plan for an airport upgrade.
"There are lots of commercial opportunities in general aviation and economic development opportunities that Ballarat misses out from because we don't have a runway that's long enough," Ms King said.
Labor promised to commit $14 million to the redevelopment had it won the May election.
"I have seen across the country, not just in Bendigo, which is obviously our competing sister city, but in other areas across the country that when you activate your airport precinct, there is a lot of economic benefit you can gain from that, particularly in relation to general aviation," Ms King said.
"I've supported the $5 million application to the federal government and I hope very much we are successful in that."
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