A COMMITTEE tasked with investigating the aviation industry’s increasing struggle to provide country communities with reliable services met in Tamworth and Moree this week. One of those who appeared before the inquiry on Tuesday was Guyra grazier Robert Gordon. Mr Gordon spoke of the need for the NSW Government to treat Regional Air Aviation as an essential service.
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Guyra-based MLC Scot MacDonald, who sits on the six-person committee, said the inquiry was called to help identify the factors behind those failures and what the government could do to make regional aviation more robust.
NSW Upper House members are seeking first-hand information about the challenges local councils have faced recently in securing and retaining air services for their communities.
The failures of Brindabella Airlines and Vincent Aviation, leaving Tamworth without commercial flights to Brisbane, and Narrabri without commercial flights full stop, are symptomatic of a tumultuous period in regional aviation.
“When centres such as Narrabri and Moree lose their air services, it has all sorts of implications; educational, medical, community, business – you name it, it has a big impact,” Mr McDonald said. “We’re just trying to get to the bottom of the issue as to why we have these weaknesses and why some of the services have trouble being sustainable and what we can do about it.”
