News

| November 15, 2022

Sky is the limit with visionary plan for Horsham Aerodrome

Horsham will take the first steps towards realising its potential as a regional flight hub with funding from an elected Nationals and Liberals state government.

Member for Lowan and Deputy Leader of the Nationals Emma Kealy today announced $240,000 for a Horsham Aerodrome masterplan, which will guide development for the next 20 to 50 years and ultimately help pave the way for a domestic airline to begin operating in Horsham.

Ms Kealy said a visionary plan would ensure the aerodrome could not only improve its existing service offerings for flying training, recreational use and emergency service flights, but also capitalise on a range of new opportunities in business, employment and tourism sectors.

“We have mineral sands companies that expect to start operating in the region in the short to medium term, as well as other businesses that will require fly-in, fly-out services and greater ease of connectivity to larger centres. We need to prepare now to ensure we have the right provisions and infrastructure in place to take advantage of those opportunities,” she said.

“Through investment and innovation, we can ensure that Horsham Aerodrome is ready to play a major role in helping us attract and capitalise on the many business, tourism and travel prospects that would benefit our region, while also giving locals greater connectivity to larger centres.”

Ms Kealy said the aerodrome already had a large cohort of users, and any future developments needed to happen in a way that did not negatively impact their access to or use of the airport.

“Working with adjacent landholders and existing aerodrome user groups to make sure their views are considered and respected will be a key part of the planning process for this exciting development,” she said.

“With forward-thinking and planning, we can make sure that the aerodrome continues to cater for recreational users and its current operations, but can also expand its capacity to provide other services that would help generate investment and jobs, and ultimately warrant the need for a domestic airline to come in.

“For our region to continue to grow and thrive, we need to aim to have the same level of services as other rural and regional centres, many of which offer domestic flights.

“The Nationals have started conversations with airlines that fly into regional centres across Australia to get a sense of what they need to attract a domestic air service, and to start gaining interest for a service for Horsham in the future.

“Access to domestic flights would unlock a new world of possibilities for the Wimmera. The Horsham Aerodrome masterplan, made possible with funding from the Nationals and Liberals, will form the building blocks that will set this aspiration in motion.”