Council drafts airport plans

WAGGA mayor Kerry Pascoe yesterday encouraged the community to participate in the public meeting for "one of the city's most important master plans".Councillor Pascoe, referring to the Wagga Airport Draft Master Plan, declared council would welcome any feedback on the plans currently on public exhibition and at the up-and-coming public meeting on April 22."I would encourage all people to come along to the public meeting or provide feedback on the airport draft master plan while it is on exhibition," he said."Specifically those people who use the airport more than others, not necessarily just members of the general public who fly in and out of the airport but those people who work in aviation."The master plan is on public exhibition until April 30 at the Civic Centre, the airport terminal lounges and on the internet at www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/airport.Cr Pascoe highlighted the importance of the draft master plan for the airport, yesterday declaring the airport is the first thing many visitors see."This master plan is extremely important to the city," he said."The airport is the gateway to the city and it gives people their first impression of Wagga."The master plan encompasses everything in the airport precinct but includes a bigger footprint of the surrounding area as well."This is a big-picture situation which is extremely important to the city."Council has ongoing projects at the airport which have already been undertaken to enhance the precinct, including the extensions to the airport terminal and the $6 million upgrade to the runway.The airport master plan aims to establish a strategic direction for the efficient and economic development of the airport over a 20-year period, provide for the development of additional uses of the airport site and reduce potential conflicts between uses of the airport site.