Tamworth pilot training facility: Tamworth Regional Council looking for tenant for training facility at airport

The council now has its sights set on finding a tenant for the old pilot training facility at Tamworth Regional Airport.

The site was being used to temporarily accommodate 100 abattoir workers, who had come to Australia from the Pacific Islands to address critical workforce shortages.

However that arrangement has now come to an end, according to a TRC spokesperson.

"There is renewed interest in pilot training at Tamworth Regional Airport and council is responding to these enquiries," the spokesperson said.

"The facility is ready to be occupied and the previous agreement, which was short term, has expired.

"Council continues to work with the protein cluster about its workforce accommodation issues."

Tamworth mayor Russell Webb told the Leader he hopes to get the facility up and going as quickly as possible.

"We're working very hard to try and get that activated," he said.

"I'm reasonably confident things will return to what we saw as normal in the past at the airport, but how long that's going to take is in the lap of the gods."

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In recent weeks, TRC announced a second carrier on the Tamworth to Sydney route and a new carrier who will service Tamworth to Melbourne and Tamworth to Maroochydore.

A TRC spokesperson said passenger numbers have been growing month-on-month since March, which was a record month for passenger movements since the pandemic devastated the aviation industry.

"April broke the March record and it is expected May will produce a new record result," the spokesperson said.

"It will still take some time for passenger numbers to meet or exceed the pre-COVID numbers."

At Tuesday night's council meeting, councillors will consider the budget variation report for the month of April, which includes a withdrawal of grant funding to get the facility up and going.

Other notable changes include a reduction in water usage income of $1.8 million, and an increase in developer contributions of $720,000, reflective of increased developer activity in the region.

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