ORANGE City Council has no choice but to acquire surrounding farmland as part of the proposed $13.9 million Orange Airport expansion, according to the Orange aerodrome community committee chair.
Speaking ahead of council’s community drop-in sessions, Cr Chris Gryllis said he was confident council staff will “do the right thing” when purchasing the land needed.
“We want to build an airport that will last 50 to 100 years, it’s major expenditure,” he said.
“I think everything will go nice and smoothly.”
Cr Gryllis said anyone interested in the expansion should attend the information evenings.
“Travellers, business people, people who live nearby can come and give us an idea of their concerns,” he said.
“It’s not always easy to accommodate every request.”
The first session will be held upstairs in the Orange Civic Centre on Wednesday, May 2 from 6pm to 8pm, the second will be at the Spring Hill hall on Saturday, May 5 at 10am to 12pm and the final session will be on Monday, May 7 from 6pm to 8pm at the Canobolas Zone Rural Fire Service on the corner of Cadia and Forest roads.
The primary aim of the project is to expand the existing airport for use by larger aircraft.
Cadia Valley Operations is expected to utilise the airport.
“We will have the opportunity to create an aviation industrial park that will increase employment opportunities for Orange and district,” Cr Gryllis said.
Interested residents can drop in at anytime during the two hour sessions for an overview of the project and give their feedback on the project recorded for consideration in the environmental impact statement (EIS).
clare.colley@ruralpress.com
