Cr Michael Britten’s almost casual claim that the Merimbula Airport runway should be resurfaced every four years at an estimated cost of $9 million would have come as a shock to the majority of residents/ratepayers, who will surely be wondering why Bega Valley Shire Council (BVSC) has not highlighted this brutal financial reality previously (‘Runway should be resurfaced every four years says mayor‘, MNW, June 17).
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Given that Merimbula Airport has operated close to “break-even” for as long as anyone can remember, this extraordinary news would probably have even the most ardent of airport supporters reaching for the “closed” sign.
BVSC has already hung one $6.4m millstone around the necks of residents/ratepayers, being the cost of the last runway upgrade. Does council really expect the NSW government or residents/ratepayers to underwrite the necessary ongoing investment to sustain what is arguably an uneconomic proposition?
The most extraordinary aspect of this long-running debacle has been council’s stubborn refusal to develop a comprehensive business plan for the airport that would have highlighted the real financial challenges confronting its ongoing viability.
John Richardson
Secretary
Bega valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association