Shellharbour council to look at a bigger airport

The information is contained in the feedback report on the Shellharbour Airport Master Plan, which was tabled at Tuesday night's city council meeting.

According to the feedback, 48 per cent of respondents (242 votes) would pay up to $100 extra a ticket, while 39 per cent would pay up to $200 extra per ticket if they could fly from Shellharbour Airport.

The most popular destinations were Gold Coast (372 votes), Melbourne (281 votes) and Brisbane (253 votes).

The master plan recommended changes to the airport to allow medium-sized passenger planes to take off and land.

The councillors voted to accept the master plan and also begin the development of a business case to assess the commercial viability of extending the airport.

Cr John Davey said this was an important part of the motion.

"What this is proposing tonight is not that we go out and start building anything or making any significant change but that a commercial business case is prepared," Cr Davey said.

"We should and hopefully will identify what the next course of action is to maximise the efficacy of utility and economic benefits that a fully operational airport can bring back to our our city."

Cr Kellie Marsh noted the high public response and felt the public response should be taken on board - both with noise concerns and the possibility of improved air travel.

"We need to do everything we can to listen to community and make sure there's no burdens on local residents who live surrounding the airport," Cr Marsh said.

"With tough, tough times now and into the future community are wanting access to affordable air travel, which will have a positive impact not only on their hip pocket but to the region as a whole and for business and people travelling to leisure destinations."

Cr Maree Duffy-Moon recalled the numerous airlines that have come and gone from the airport over the years.

"For those of us who've been around for a while, we understand that there's been a few times where we've had flights coming in and out going to Canberra, going to Melbourne, different airlines since the 1970s who have often pulled out and left the residents holding the bag, so to speak," Cr Duffy-Moon said.

"I think until we can secure Commonwealth funding that guarantees that our residents are again not going to be left holding any debt, then we perhaps shouldn't keep expending more money to investigate the possibility of a larger airline coming in."

While the residents would love to have regular and cheap interstate flights, Cr Rob Petreski said a carrier would need a volume of travellers to warrant setting up at Shellharbour Airport.

"At the moment, we don't have that volume," Cr Petreski said.

"I would love to see regular cheap flights myself. But I'm also a realist and I know that we do have some constraints with that site.

"At the moment, we have a carrier that's providing a regular service. In the winter schedule, I think they're only flying out 44 days a week, and in the summer that increases by another day or so."

He added that some sort of grant funding should fund the business case so Shellharbour residents weren't out of pocket.

The motion was passed with Cr Duffy-Moon and Cr Lou Stefanoski voted against it.