GUNNEDAH Shire Council has pleaded with Tamworth Regional Council to rethink proposed parking fees at the airport.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
At this month’s council meeting, Gunnedah shire mayor Owen Hasler said Gunnedah residents were
![Gunnedah Shire Council mayor Owen Hasler wants a rethink on parking fees at Tamworth Regional Airport. Gunnedah Shire Council mayor Owen Hasler wants a rethink on parking fees at Tamworth Regional Airport.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/storypad-y8YKNWH3Pdv2guZsVFQpjk/d5d2fec4-7fe5-4795-9ab4-92d8be3950e0.jpg/r0_26_534_350_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
regular users of Tamworth Regional Airport and they already had to travel to get to the airport, without having to also pay parking fees.
The proposed charges are being discussed following a $1.2 million upgrade of the airport terminal and parking facilities.
“Considering these regular users already have an extra burden, it should be recognised in assessing further charges,” Cr Hasler said.
Tamworth mayor Col Murray said the proposed fees had not been finalised as yet, but the airport was a user-pay business unit of council.
“Whilst council understands the views of visitors like Gunnedah coming to the airport, council also feels it is
considered unreasonable for those residents who don’t use the facility to pay,” he said.
“In our bid to attract another carrier and to reduce airfares, abundant carparking was one of the things the second carrier was used to.”
Cr Murray said they respected the position of residents from neighouring towns, including Gunnedah, Narrabri and Quirindi, but it is was the only fair way the council could continue to develop the airport.
“In the public consultation there has been a good representation from our neighbours,” he said.
“Somebody has to pay for all these public facilities, though. In all levels of government, we’re all facing reducing levels of revenue and increasing levels of cost.
Whether we like it or not, we are rapidly moving into the user-pay system, where users of facilities are expected to pay for them.”
Gunnedah shire councillors voted to voice their concerns to Tamworth Regional Council.