Deputy prime minister Michael McCormack visited Parkes Airport on Friday to inspect upgrade works which he described as not only important for Parkes but the region.
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“By establishing a new business hub here it is going to mean so many more opportunities for Parkes,” Mr McCormack said.
“We want to make sure that the 46 per cent of international travellers who come to a regional area when they visit Australia, we want to make sure that they put Parkes on their bucket list.
“There are plenty of reasons to come to Parkes, whether it is for tourism, whether it is for business opportunities, there are plenty of reasons to visit Parkes.
“We want more businesses to decentralise here. We want more government agencies, we want more private entities to see and realise the opportunities that are in regional Australia.
“The opportunities that are right here in Parkes, the shire council is one of the most pro-active councils in Australia.
“It is upgrades like this at the airport, $1.5 million worth of Federal funding on the back of what Parkes Council has also done,” Mr McCormack said.
Councillor Allan Ward said the airport work interlinks with everything happening in Parkes.
“This is grassroots of us improving our airport facilities,”Cr Ward said.
“We’re doing apron expansions to the value of $3 million which is a wonderful asset for us to build on.
“It will enable us to have our airport ready for the future and how our airport progresses with the freight hub.
“Our first stage is now completed, which is an access to our business park.
“The next stage is our apron and taxi ways which should be finished in February next year,” Cr Ward said.
Council’s Economic Development committee, Cr Ward went on to say, has done its master planning to forecast what Parkes’ freight presence in Australia will be and is planning a further two stages.
These will include the construction of hangars.
“After this stage is finished it will be time for us to sit down with investors and businesses that want to come to Parkes and work out how they can be accommodated in this area.
“We’ve already got a lot of interest now,” Cr Ward said.
Parkes Shire Council received funding for the projects under the National Stronger Regions Fund ($1.55m) from the Federal Government for airside works and the first stages of the Parkes Airport Business Park and a further $287,000 under the Tourism Demand Driver Infrastructure Fund for the new roadside access road to the new business park development.
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