Lismore City Council has had some financial nooses around its neck for quite some time. The Blakebrook Quarry, GSAC and the Lismore Airport have been the bane of council's budgetary process each year, each losing money that puts pressure on the budget to return to a breakeven position.

The February 2022 big flood destroyed most of council's assets, including the Lismore Airport. The silver lining has been that council has been given time to rebuild the asset to its original condition, thanks to a government grant while thinking and planning its future.

Rex Airlines was only flying into Lismore because of a federal government subsidy. When that expired, Rex announced they would stop flying into Lismore (via Grafton). Now, they are not an option moving forward.

The Lismore Airport construction phase at the terminal is coming to an end. Brendan Logan, COO at Lismore City Council, Mark Davis, the Airport Manager and Scott Collis, Head of Open Space, gave the Lismore App access to the airport and provided some airport facts and a deeper understanding of how our airport functions and what it means to us, even without its use as a passenger terminal.

The airport's future use has been open to public discussion on the Your Say council web page. Now, a different approach is being targeted.

Brendan Logan explains, “I've just recruited Scott Collis to be Head of Fleet and Open Space here, and one of his KPIs is to determine the future of the airport and determine that in a reasonable space of time.

“It's not just about coming up with what we might want to do and then trying to work out how we are going to fund it and invest in it - this needs to be analysed at the same time. 

“We need these decisions to be backed by genuine investment logic.

“Economies are changing regionally. Industries are changing regionally. So we need to look at that in the context of the airport, and assess - What is the future of the airport with those economic and regional industry trends that are starting to emerge?”

This will not be an extended exercise. “Through this investment logic work, the absolute minimum is cost neutrality. You can't carry an airport that is run at a loss just for general aviation. That does not make sense. That's why I want to get cost neutrality first, and get there quick.”

Enquiries have been made as to who would be able to start a passenger flight service back into Lismore. There are not many regional flight services currently available. Brendan said, “We asked Qantas. And the answer was yes, but not without upsetting Ballina. 

“If Qantas locks all their efforts into Ballina, well, what's the future of our airport? Maybe it's not Qantas, maybe it's not passengers, maybe it's other things.”

Almost ironically, the new name of the airport - the James Strong AO Terminal is named after James Strong, an ex-CEO of Qantas who was born and raised in Lismore. Mr Strong himself opened the airport terminal on December 9th, 2000.

Mr Logan talks about the works that have been visible driving past the airport, “The airport terminal is nearly complete. That work has been done over the last 12 months, but it probably started about 18 months ago. 

“That's essentially the EPAR funding, the Essential Public Asset Restoration works that's part of our larger buildings program.”

The next phase of works includes a range of other federal grants, almost $5 million, that will see works to the “airside” - the pavement, the tarmac and the outdoor works that will be completed progressively throughout 2025.

(Interiors of the newly renovated terminal.)

Post flood saw immediate works to its taxi areas and runways to become functional once more so the airport could be used to bring in supplies and in emergency situations. 

Mark Davis said the airport could be up and running within days of a flood ebbing, “In times of flood, once the water has receded, having a runway available to fly in supplies is critical. Post the water receding, the runway was operational within three or four days.”

Mr Logan added, “Fuel, as we saw in the 2022 flood, became a real constraint to recovery in everyday life. The airport allows a source of that to be available in quicker times than road transport.”

Although the airport isn’t functioning as a passenger terminal, it has been far from idle.

Mark Davis reports, “The annual aircraft movements that the airport is currently experiencing are back to pre-flood and pre-Covid numbers - approximately 14,000 per year.”

That is around 40 movements a day, or 20 flights in and out, or out and in, depending on the aircraft's origin.  

(As we were discussing the airport use, a B58 Baron, fast aviation twin-engine training aeroplane, took off in the background.)

Mark describes the process, “The way airports work is any pilot has the ability and the right to land at any certified aerodrome in Australia, and Lismore is no different. 

“So a pilot would simply launch a flight plan with Air Services Australia, which we aren't privy to, and then make the required radio calls amongst the fellow pilots utilising the airspace, and they just land.”

The intention to use the airport is logged, and the aircraft is charged for the use of the facility.

This includes flights for private use, the aero club (which includes training), the Royal Australian Airforce, National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, the Royal Flying Doctors, and other medical emergencies.

There are 19 separate, privately owned hangars that lease land from the airport.

In the recent restructure of the aerospace in the Northern Rivers, which standardised the flight paths coming in and out of Ballina, Lismore ensured it was involved. Mark says, “We were definitely vocal in our opinions and ensured that Lismore was not left out.

“There were a few things that we did raise that they have taken on board and will potentially implement, as far as radio communications being improved and also having a standard instrument departure out of Lismore.”

The works to keep the airport in a well-maintained condition include inspections of the runway and surrounding facilities twice a week. Any variations in the runway and surrounding grassed areas can potentially be a hazard.  

For example, the grass immediately surrounding the runway is strictly kept below 15cm. However, if there has been rain, the mowing equipment cannot use this area, and any wheel divots or bumps greater than 25mm constitute an unacceptable hazard.

Pre-planning and maintenance of the other airport equipment are vital. The BOM’s weather instruments transmit the latest weather from the airport. Mark says, “Pilots can tune in to that frequency and get the current weather. 

“This allows them to reduce their visibility requirements in poor weather for instrument pilots, and that assists the Westpac Rescue chopper in getting here in marginal weather conditions.”

(Mark checking the BOM instruments)

We'll leave you with a little anecdote discussed during the interview, a flashback to the times when the airport was used as a passenger terminal nearly three years ago. The talk was about the Rex check-in person, who was also the Rex flight attendant.  

His ability to recall people was uncanny, “and he had this thing of biscuits that had the Arnott's twin packs, which wasn't flash, but if you were on an early flight, it was great with a cup of tea.”

It remains to be seen whether we return to those days or the Lismore Airport will move in a completely different direction. The goal is for the Lismore Airport not to cost ratepayers a cent.