There will be upgrades to a number of Victorian regional airports and their precincts if I get a seat at next year’s state election.

 

At present only seven airports in Victoria have passenger flights, including those from smaller regional centres in the south west of the state.

 

As part of a strategy to encourage people to move into, and invest, in regional Victoria there will be upgrades to a number of Victorian regional airports.

 

Ballarat Airport, for example, could get improved runways, with the potential for a major retail precinct and a new train station nearby. This airport will serve western Victoria, which will unlock great potential.

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Latrobe Valley Airport could also be upgraded along with the nearby hospital and accommodation. A train station, an innovation precinct, a university campus and a convention centre can be built within the airport precinct as well, which will serve the whole of the Gippsland region.

 

Furthermore, there are calls to relocate Shepparton Airport. By doing so there will be increased capacity for passenger and cargo flights to effectively serve the region, which, together with increased rail services, improve connectivity of Goulburn Valley and Shepparton residents.

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All these airports along with Bendigo Airport will be able to service passenger flights. In the longer term, Shepparton airport could be transformed into an international airport, enabling passenger and cargo flights to operate in and out of Australia and creating a main gateway for northern Victoria.

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Passenger flights that could be under consideration include:

·         Bendigo and Ballarat to Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra and Mildura

·         Shepparton to Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Singapore and Wellington

·         Latrobe Valley to Hobart, Canberra, Sydney and Newcastle

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Published on December 12, 2017