YSWG - Wagga City Airport: Difference between revisions
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This page outlines some of the history regarding fees and charges and their affect on Light Aircraft use at YSWG (and other airports). | |||
General Aviation (GA) is in a rather tenuous position in Australia and the USA and suffering a decline due to economic drivers. | |||
In many cases we see privatisation of airports, a lack of concern for GA in governance, and even airport security counter measure costs being inflicted on private operators that have no cost recovery mechanism to offset the forever increasing costs. These cost drivers result in the small end of aviation being forced to move on, resulting in associated businesses shuttering. Namely maintenance and flight training as the blaring examples that recently happened at YSWG, as has happened at other airports such as YSCB, YSBK and YMMB too due to escalating cost and price gouging. | |||
Please check this page for updates while RP-5 has been deferred to the 12 of May council meeting. | |||
=2016-2017= | =2016-2017= | ||
A decision was | A decision was made to install an Airport Advisory Committee for YSWG in an attempt to provide knowledgeable oversight and the terms of reference were drafted 2016 and enacted 2017. <ref>YSWG Advisory Committee https://wagga.nsw.gov.au/imagesfiles/documents/the-council/committees/Airport-Advisory-Committee-Terms-of-Reference-December-2017-FINAL.pdf</ref> | ||
= | =2018-01-29= | ||
However, we needed to form the Regional Airport Users Group in 2018 in direct response to Wagga City Council governance of the airport. <ref>Regional Airport Users Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/398937327230803/</ref> We made the charter of this group inclusive of all regional airports because there are perceived governance issues nation-wide and no nation-wide safeguarding framework to protect airports spanning from: Authorised Landing areas, bush strips, farm strips, and airports all the way up to the larger regionals such as YSWG. | |||
Due to the proposal to change airport fees and terms of use for aircraft a large number of Wagga City Aero Club (WCAC) members attended the public session at council chambers to support our submissions and speak to incentivisation changes | Due to the proposal to change airport fees and terms of use for aircraft at YSWG a large number of Wagga City Aero Club (WCAC) members attended the public session at council chambers on 29-Jan-2018 to support our submissions and speak to incentivisation changes to the Airport fees. At that meeting the councilors passed a resolution to: | ||
* provide the Private Aircraft Annual Landing Permit for all General Aviation and Recreational aircraft, and | |||
* maintain current charges, and | |||
* refer to its newly formed Airport Advisory Committee, and | |||
* undertake of a full review of the management, operation and improvement of the Airport facilities, and | |||
* review financial performance budgets and long term financial objectives. | |||
We believe that this | We believe that this resolution to support Governance Oversight would be good for Aviation, good for the Airport, and good for the WCAC. An effort to improve governance and assuage declining General Aviation, which has been suffering at the smaller regional airports nation wide. Recognition that General Aviation is the grass-roots from which Maintenance Engineers and Pilots are made, and an informed voice for the Aviation community. | ||
The rescission of the non-resident term allowed an additional 7 non-resident members to became eligible to take up the offer. | |||
The Annual Landing Permit is adopted by WCAC members who own and operate aircraft and allowed Cootamundra, Temora and Albury airport users who participate in Wagga Aero Club activities the opportunity to attend functions at a fixed cost through the pre-purchase. The Aero Club felt that this was a good decision and we were lead to believe it would continue. | |||
=2022= | =2022= | ||
In 2022 a WCAC committee member had their use of the Annual Landing Permit declined and had to contest that by letters to the Business Manager | In 2022 a WCAC committee member had their use of the Annual Landing Permit application declined and had to contest that by letters to the Business Manager while privately informing AvData that the bill is in contest. Meanwhile the landing charges accumulated over the ensuing weeks until they were waived retrospectively more than a month later. This caused considerable inconvenience and ill will and sent messages far and wide across the General Aviation community. | ||
=2023-2024= | =2023-2024= | ||
We believed the case was resolved | We believed the case was resolved up until the next 2023-2024 financial year it was discovered that the terms were allegedly surreptitiously changed, and under circumstances where the Wagga City Aero Club and Airport Advisory Committee were not notified and could not be heard. A seemingly insignificant change in terms of revenue that has far reaching flow-on consequences to the General Aviation community and generated further ill-will. The same aircraft was allegedly a target of these changed terms, and some 7 Aero Club members (one a committee member) were excluded from the option. | ||
This coupled with lack of consultation of the Airport Advisory Committee calls into question the governance of the airport and effectiveness of council to maintain industry | This coupled with lack of consultation of the Airport Advisory Committee calls into question the governance of the airport and effectiveness of council to inform and maintain industry. It It must be noted that local aviation industry have shuttered <ref group="note">We have the recent shutting of AAPA, the pressure on Rex Airlines, and the shutting of Mag Aviation - very recently as cases in point.</ref>, or are about to shutter - due to economic drivers - a sad situation for YSWG and the wider Wagga Wagga community. | ||
For aircraft operators on farms, and in the surrounding regions of Albury, Jindabyne, Adaminaby, Tumut, Cootamundra, Temora, Narrandera, Young, Cowra, Parkes, Orange, Wellington, and indeed Bankstown, our once regular visitors to the Wagga City Aero Club the messaging is that people have been dissuaded from visiting | For aircraft operators on farms, and in the surrounding regions of Albury, Jindabyne, Adaminaby, Tumut, Cootamundra, Temora, Narrandera, Young, Cowra, Parkes, Orange, Wellington, and indeed Bankstown, our once regular visitors to the Wagga City Aero Club - the messaging is that people have been dissuaded from visiting, dissuaded from attending WCAC activities, and dissuaded from other events. | ||
YSWG was | YSWG was once used as my re-fuelling stop instead of purchasing fuel at Canberra, and now instead I fly to Temora. Temora is much more attractive in terms of fuel cost and infrastructure amenity, and has zero landing fees, and is closer to Canberra. I increased my landings at YTEM from 2 per annum to 103 in the last 9 months as a direct result of the fee changes at YSWG. Thus YTEM airport now gets my custom and SkyFuel is my re-fuelling agent.<ref group="note"> I flew to YTEM to refuel on the way back to Canberra after attending the public council session on the 28th April - but then I also like flying the extra 27 minutes from Wagga Wagga to Temora to get another approach to maintain currency. All my flying is private and privately funded like the majority of the other Wagga City Aero Club members.</ref> | ||
Having aircraft forced away from an airport due to fee structures and other tenancy issues sends a strong signal that effectively causes pressure on and the decline of Aviation in General at that airport. The follow-on consequences of reducing numbers of visiting GA aircraft affects maintenance, fuel supply and other community retail outlets. Aviation is tenuous and easily affected by seemingly small changes in cost factors which in the aggregate have a greater affect including the affect on the regional communities that provide a variety of services. Not to mention that owner operators take their custom elsewhere driven by costs and incentives or lack there-of. | Having aircraft forced away from an airport due to fee structures and other tenancy issues sends a strong signal that effectively causes pressure on and the decline of Aviation in General at that airport. The follow-on consequences of reducing numbers of visiting GA aircraft affects maintenance, training, fuel supply and other community retail outlets. Aviation is tenuous and easily affected by seemingly small changes in cost factors which in the aggregate have a greater affect including the affect on the regional communities that provide a variety of services. Not to mention that owner operators take their custom elsewhere driven by costs and incentives or lack there-of. | ||
Pilots will vote with their feet as I have voted, thus I am now an infrequent visitor to YSWG and instead I buy most of my fuel from YTEM. | Pilots will vote with their feet as I have voted, thus I am now an infrequent visitor to YSWG and instead I buy most of my fuel from YTEM. | ||
=2025- | =2025-04-28 Agenda item RP-5= | ||
It is rather disappointing that | It is rather disappointing that changes were (allegedly surreptitiously) made to the Annual Landing Permit to exclude non-resident aircrtaft in the 2024-2025 finacial year since council voted to remove the proposed constraint back in 2018 for very sound reasons. | ||
This coming financial year council have provided an indication via agenda item RP-5 that they will continue with the changed terms despite submissions from members of the Wagga City Aero Club. This time council also tabled increasing fees for our light-aircraft community (those aircraft below 5,700 kg and users of a 1.77 km piece of bitumen) by 8% which is way above CPI. | |||
It was also disappointing that the Airport Advisory Committee has fallen into disuse by the council which calls again into question the governance of the airport by office staff who know little about aviation or the community sentiment. | |||
The council public session where people may speak on this matter was on 28-Apr-2025 at 18:00 in council chambers. | The council public session where people may speak on this matter was held on 28-Apr-2025 at 18:00 in council chambers. The results of RP-5 Airport Fees public session has been posted below. | ||
I also draw your attention to | I also draw your attention to some background reading: | ||
* https://www.change.org/p/alter-charges-and-abolish-landing-fees-for-light-aircraft-at-regional-airports <ref>https://www.change.org/p/alter-charges-and-abolish-landing-fees-for-light-aircraft-at-regional-airports | * https://www.change.org/p/alter-charges-and-abolish-landing-fees-for-light-aircraft-at-regional-airports <ref>Alter charges and abolish landing fees for light aircraft at regional airports https://www.change.org/p/alter-charges-and-abolish-landing-fees-for-light-aircraft-at-regional-airports</ref> | ||
* RP-5 https://meetings.wagga.nsw.gov.au/Open/2025/04/OC_28042025_AGN_5012_AT.PDF <ref>28-Apr-2025 Wagga City Council Pubic Session https://meetings.wagga.nsw.gov.au/Open/2025/04/OC_28042025_AGN_5012_AT.PDF</ref> <ref group="note">I notice that only 7 public submissions have been listed against RP-5, yet I know of two emails that have not been listed in the agenda - and I wonder how many more submissions were not tabled?</ref> | |||
* RP-5 https://meetings.wagga.nsw.gov.au/Open/2025/04/OC_28042025_AGN_5012_AT.PDF <ref>https://meetings.wagga.nsw.gov.au/Open/2025/04/OC_28042025_AGN_5012_AT.PDF</ref> <ref group="note">I notice that only 7 public submissions have been listed against RP-5, yet I know of two emails that have not been listed in the agenda - and I wonder how many more submissions were not tabled?</ref> | |||
If council do not head the recommendations I guess they may remain on the [[:category:GA unfriendly airports]] list (which I think needs other inclusions). | |||
=2025-04-28 | ==2025-04-28 council public session 18:00== | ||
Circa 18:35 council accepted my talk against the introduction of fee changes and then moved a motion to defer any vote on the matter to the next council meeting until after they have had the opportunity to read the other submissions that were not tabled. | |||
The acceptance of the motion to defer to the next council meeting also provides two members of the public a second opportunity to speak to the RP-5 proposed fee changes at the public session. | |||
I argued that I have changed my flying pattern and now refuel almost exclusively at Temora due to financial drivers caused by changes to the YSWG airport fees. I do not have an insignificant fuel draw-down and both Temora and I win while Wagga loses. I then called on the council to reconsider the fees, rescind the resident aircraft term on the Annual Landing Permits and to incentivise visiting aircraft and to counter the decline of GA at their gateway. <ref group="note">Removing the resident aircraft restriction on all Annual Landing Permits for aircraft below 5,700 kg would allow Private and Commercial operators pre-purchase of their landings at YSWG and avoid the administrative | I argued that I have changed my flying pattern and now refuel almost exclusively at Temora due to financial drivers caused by changes to the YSWG airport fees. I do not have an insignificant fuel draw-down and both Temora and I win while Wagga Wagga loses. I then called on the council to reconsider the fees, rescind the resident aircraft term on the Annual Landing Permits and to incentivise visiting aircraft and to counter the decline of GA at their gateway. <ref group="note">Removing the resident aircraft restriction on all Annual Landing Permits for aircraft below 5,700 kg would allow Private and Commercial operators pre-purchase of their landings at YSWG and avoid the administrative overhead of collections and actually use the council collection systems that are more than adequate as they already handle council fees and the people doing the management are already on salary. A more convenient and up-front income stream would result.</ref> | ||
During my talk I mentioned that Wagga City Airport has lost flight training, and now a maintenance organisation, and that I have seen this degradation happen at other airports - caused by fee structures and unsustainable costs. | |||
The local area has such a large captive range of aircraft if only the council could incentivise and lower fees to attract more aircraft | The local area has such a large captive range of aircraft if only the council could incentivise and lower fees to attract more aircraft, with more pilot visits that would result in subsequent greater spend in the community. | ||
I flew in recently just to meet up with relatives who were travelling through on a 4WD trip and we had dinner in a restaurant. Jim Morgan uses the airport as his road from his property into town to conduct business, and other pilots have been known to do similar, and that is spend money in the community. | I flew in recently just to meet up with relatives who were travelling through on a 4WD trip and we had dinner in a restaurant. Jim Morgan uses the airport as his road from his property into town to conduct business, and other pilots have been known to do similar, and that is spend money in the community. | ||
| Line 58: | Line 74: | ||
Clinton McKenzie and the Cootamundra aviation community managed to have their council remove the fees imposed on the Southern Cross Gliding Club - who bring in between $50,000 to $100,000 each visit, depending on numbers. | Clinton McKenzie and the Cootamundra aviation community managed to have their council remove the fees imposed on the Southern Cross Gliding Club - who bring in between $50,000 to $100,000 each visit, depending on numbers. | ||
Places like Temora also have a zero landing fee policy and that airport attracts gliding competitions that utterly and completely fill the town, and not to mention the same thing happens when the air shows were on. Temora Council progressively even setup a caravan park at the airport. Temora is a good model as council also | Places like Temora also have a zero landing fee policy and that airport attracts gliding competitions that utterly and completely fill the town, and not to mention the same thing happens when the air shows were on. Temora Council progressively even setup a caravan park at the airport. Temora is a good model as council also set up an Aviation airpark and that is a rates-value proposition. | ||
Airports and associated aviation events, and well placed incentives, can very easily result in an uplift to regional economies, and general aviation is essential for agriculture, fire fighting and aero medical transport, maintenance, training and are the suppliers for people who start out and keep the big end of town running - that is no less than Regular Public Transport. Once GA is eroded and the airports decline it is very hard to get the activity back - and then a greedy property developer subsumes the runways and aviation suffers and | Airports and associated aviation events, and well placed incentives, can very easily result in an uplift to regional economies, and general aviation is essential for agriculture, fire fighting and aero medical transport, maintenance, training and are the suppliers for people who start out and keep the big end of town running - that is no less than Regular Public Transport. Once GA is eroded and the airports decline it is very hard to get the activity back - and then a greedy property developer subsumes the runways and aviation suffers and moves away - gone for ever. | ||
The proposal was to increase fees by about 8% which is well above CPI, and back in 2024 they imposed a resident-only constraint on the Annual Landing Permit voiding opportunities for surrounding regional property and aircraft owners a much needed incentive, and despite voting to rescind that very restriction in 2018 to help the Aero Club and General Aviation - which is in decline nation wide. | The proposal was to increase fees by about 8% which is well above CPI, and back in 2024 they imposed a resident-only constraint on the Annual Landing Permit voiding opportunities for surrounding regional property and aircraft owners a much needed incentive, and despite voting to rescind that very restriction in 2018 to help the Aero Club and General Aviation - which is in decline nation wide. | ||
| Line 73: | Line 89: | ||
Wagga City council is promoting aviation decline the way things are going, and to couple that with unknowns about lease tenure at the airport any investment will just stop. | Wagga City council is promoting aviation decline the way things are going, and to couple that with unknowns about lease tenure at the airport any investment will just stop. | ||
A seemingly small change in a fee or an impost can have far reaching consequences for the community. Could you imagine what would happen if they charged people to launch their boats from the boat ramp, have you pay to drive down the Main Street, or to use the public toilets - all provided to the community free of charge? Yet the council charges for access to the mere 1.77km piece of tar called a runway. That little stretch of bitumen is the gateway to your city and it’s treated as a tollway and traffic avoids it. Expecting a captive | A seemingly small change in a fee or an impost can have far reaching consequences for the community. Could you imagine what would happen if they charged people to launch their boats from the boat ramp, have you pay to drive down the Main Street, or to use the public toilets - all provided to the community free of charge? Yet the council charges for access to the mere 1.77km piece of tar called a runway. That little stretch of bitumen is the gateway to your city and it’s treated as a tollway and traffic avoids it. | ||
Expecting a captive small user base of local aircraft to support an airport, including services they do not need or use, is unreasonable. Instead consider what incentivisation means with the capture or more and wider custom and flow-on effects to the aviation community and the community at large. Do you want business people to fly to your regional airport and invest and spend money within your region? Do you support the grass roots of aviation from which every maintenance engineer and pilot originates - and that is General Aviation and aircraft below 5,700 kg - ones that do not even leave a dent in the hardstand? Do you want jobs for the future generations in the industry and in your region? | |||
=2028-05-01= | |||
Wagga City Council governance and handling of public submissions of the regional airport called into question. | |||
Agenda item RP-5 deferred to 12 May to allow councilors the opportunity to review all public submissions that were '''not tabled''' by '''council officers'''. | |||
=Airport Fees= | |||
General Aviation is really suffering both in the USA and Australia, in no small part to price gouging. | |||
Councils appear to be colluding by observing other council airport fees and using that as justification of their fee structure. The end result is unreasonable pricing, and more erosion of General Aviation, particularly affecting private operators and light aircraft below 5,700 kg. Resident captive aircraft are expected to unreasonably suffer the price gouging because itinerant aircraft have been dissuaded from visiting and so move their spend elsewhere to where the fee structure is more reasonable - such to airports that have zero landing fees. If you for example run an airport with a zero-landing fee policy for light aircraft you will help sustain General Aviation, notice that others have started to take notice. | |||
Some progressive councils are voting to change fee conditions or to abolish landing and touch-and-go fees in order to sustain and attract General Aviation.<ref group="note">A touch and go is when training aircraft are teaching students how to fly and involves repeated circuits with touch down and take off and the student is charged each time the wheels touch the runway, or in the case of AvData listening to radio tape, every time a circuit is performed whether the wheels touched or not, and in many cases a missed-approach at airports like Orange when aircraft didn't even land. This is an inequitable situation. It is also subject to erroneous invoicing.</ref> | |||
* 2025-05-01 Safford City Council voted to eliminate landing fees for light aircraft, aiming to create a more '''welcoming''' environment for general aviation pilots. They also voted to revoke landing fees for touch-and-go operations involving aircraft over 4,000 pounds immediately. <ref>Safford City council scraps landing fees https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/arizona-airport-scraps-landing-fees-for-light-aircraft</ref> | |||
* 2025-01-28 Florida Airport pauses vote on new landing fee. <ref>Florida Airport pauses vote on landing fees <https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2025/january/28/florida-airport-pauses-vote-on-new-landing-fee</ref> | |||
* 2025-01-16 Buckey, Arizona made is clear that landing fees will not be imposed <ref>Buckey will not impose landing fees https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2025/january/16/landing-fee-ruled-out-in-buckeye-arizona</ref> | |||
* 2024-2025 Bundaberg zero landing fee for aircraft below 999kg (this only covers ultralights and RAUS and not most GA) <ref>Bundaberge zero landing fess for below 1000kg aircraft https://formstmp.bundaberg.qld.gov.au/MD-7-418.pdf</ref> | |||
* 2024-11-24 RPT airport landing fees <ref>RPT landing fees https://www.how-much-to.com/home/how-much-to-land-in-an-airport</ref> | |||
* 2024-06 Shell harbour has pre-paid Annual Landing Permit without restriction <ref>Shellharbour https://www.shellharbourairport.com.au/operational-information/airport-fees-and-charges/</ref> | |||
* 2024-04-26 Australian Aviation sector has been accused of price-goughing <ref>Australian Aviation Sector price gouging https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-26/australias-monopolisitic-airports-overcharging-airlines/103634144</ref> | |||
* 2024-11-25 An interstate return flight from Darwin can cost more than $1,500 and residents say it is price gouging<ref>Darwin price gouging https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/australia-wide/australia-wide/104452994 - blamed on Darwin airport's landing fees</ref> | |||
* 2022-04-23 Lismore council re-instated Annual Landing permit <ref>Lismore re-insate Annual Landing permit https://yoursay.lismore.nsw.gov.au/on-public-exhibition-amendment-to-fees-and-charges-at-lismore-regional-airport</ref> | |||
* 2016-12-02 Bussleton Aero club calls for landing fees ban <ref>Bussleton calls for landing fee ban https://thewest.com.au/news/south-west/aero-club-calls-for-landing-fees-ban-ng-ya-123718.amp</ref> | |||
* 2010 Maryborough and Hervey Bay abolishes fees for private aircraft <ref>Marybourough and Hervey Bay broken promises https://www.australianflying.com.au/news/landing-fees-dropped-at-maryborough/hervey-bay-airports</ref>. Somehow promises were broken and this has been rescinded and AvData is collecting with quite a complex scheme <ref>AvData airport fees collection | |||
for Australian airports https://avdata.com.au/airport-charge-rates</ref> | |||
See also: | |||
* https://www.change.org/p/alter-charges-and-abolish-landing-fees-for-light-aircraft-at-regional-airports | |||
=Erroneous AvData billing= | |||
AvData use flight plan data, ADS-B and VHF voice recordings - so invoicing is not always correct and they take a cut from the proceeds. | |||
* https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/611876-avdata-scam.html | |||
* https://www.recreationalflying.com/forums/topic/35625-avdata-again/ | |||
* https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/590337-avdata-landing-fees-automatic-ctaf-calls-2.html | |||
* https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/590337-avdata-landing-fees-automatic-ctaf-calls-3.html | |||
* https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/590337-avdata-landing-fees-automatic-ctaf-calls-4.html | |||
* https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/590337-avdata-landing-fees-automatic-ctaf-calls-6.html | |||
* https://www.recreationalflying.com/forums/topic/35185-avdata/ | |||
* https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/81592-use-false-callsigns.html | |||
* https://www.recreationalflying.com/forums/topic/18319-landing-fees-at-gladstone-ygla/ | |||
* missed approaches https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/480073-rottnest-island-avdata-charging-missed-approaches.html | |||
* reasonable force https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/570869-avdata-roma-maranoa-council-letter.html | |||
=notes= | =notes= | ||
Latest revision as of 07:27, 2 May 2025
This page outlines some of the history regarding fees and charges and their affect on Light Aircraft use at YSWG (and other airports). General Aviation (GA) is in a rather tenuous position in Australia and the USA and suffering a decline due to economic drivers.
In many cases we see privatisation of airports, a lack of concern for GA in governance, and even airport security counter measure costs being inflicted on private operators that have no cost recovery mechanism to offset the forever increasing costs. These cost drivers result in the small end of aviation being forced to move on, resulting in associated businesses shuttering. Namely maintenance and flight training as the blaring examples that recently happened at YSWG, as has happened at other airports such as YSCB, YSBK and YMMB too due to escalating cost and price gouging.
Please check this page for updates while RP-5 has been deferred to the 12 of May council meeting.
2016-2017
A decision was made to install an Airport Advisory Committee for YSWG in an attempt to provide knowledgeable oversight and the terms of reference were drafted 2016 and enacted 2017. [1]
2018-01-29
However, we needed to form the Regional Airport Users Group in 2018 in direct response to Wagga City Council governance of the airport. [2] We made the charter of this group inclusive of all regional airports because there are perceived governance issues nation-wide and no nation-wide safeguarding framework to protect airports spanning from: Authorised Landing areas, bush strips, farm strips, and airports all the way up to the larger regionals such as YSWG.
Due to the proposal to change airport fees and terms of use for aircraft at YSWG a large number of Wagga City Aero Club (WCAC) members attended the public session at council chambers on 29-Jan-2018 to support our submissions and speak to incentivisation changes to the Airport fees. At that meeting the councilors passed a resolution to:
- provide the Private Aircraft Annual Landing Permit for all General Aviation and Recreational aircraft, and
- maintain current charges, and
- refer to its newly formed Airport Advisory Committee, and
- undertake of a full review of the management, operation and improvement of the Airport facilities, and
- review financial performance budgets and long term financial objectives.
We believe that this resolution to support Governance Oversight would be good for Aviation, good for the Airport, and good for the WCAC. An effort to improve governance and assuage declining General Aviation, which has been suffering at the smaller regional airports nation wide. Recognition that General Aviation is the grass-roots from which Maintenance Engineers and Pilots are made, and an informed voice for the Aviation community.
The rescission of the non-resident term allowed an additional 7 non-resident members to became eligible to take up the offer.
The Annual Landing Permit is adopted by WCAC members who own and operate aircraft and allowed Cootamundra, Temora and Albury airport users who participate in Wagga Aero Club activities the opportunity to attend functions at a fixed cost through the pre-purchase. The Aero Club felt that this was a good decision and we were lead to believe it would continue.
2022
In 2022 a WCAC committee member had their use of the Annual Landing Permit application declined and had to contest that by letters to the Business Manager while privately informing AvData that the bill is in contest. Meanwhile the landing charges accumulated over the ensuing weeks until they were waived retrospectively more than a month later. This caused considerable inconvenience and ill will and sent messages far and wide across the General Aviation community.
2023-2024
We believed the case was resolved up until the next 2023-2024 financial year it was discovered that the terms were allegedly surreptitiously changed, and under circumstances where the Wagga City Aero Club and Airport Advisory Committee were not notified and could not be heard. A seemingly insignificant change in terms of revenue that has far reaching flow-on consequences to the General Aviation community and generated further ill-will. The same aircraft was allegedly a target of these changed terms, and some 7 Aero Club members (one a committee member) were excluded from the option.
This coupled with lack of consultation of the Airport Advisory Committee calls into question the governance of the airport and effectiveness of council to inform and maintain industry. It It must be noted that local aviation industry have shuttered [note 1], or are about to shutter - due to economic drivers - a sad situation for YSWG and the wider Wagga Wagga community.
For aircraft operators on farms, and in the surrounding regions of Albury, Jindabyne, Adaminaby, Tumut, Cootamundra, Temora, Narrandera, Young, Cowra, Parkes, Orange, Wellington, and indeed Bankstown, our once regular visitors to the Wagga City Aero Club - the messaging is that people have been dissuaded from visiting, dissuaded from attending WCAC activities, and dissuaded from other events.
YSWG was once used as my re-fuelling stop instead of purchasing fuel at Canberra, and now instead I fly to Temora. Temora is much more attractive in terms of fuel cost and infrastructure amenity, and has zero landing fees, and is closer to Canberra. I increased my landings at YTEM from 2 per annum to 103 in the last 9 months as a direct result of the fee changes at YSWG. Thus YTEM airport now gets my custom and SkyFuel is my re-fuelling agent.[note 2]
Having aircraft forced away from an airport due to fee structures and other tenancy issues sends a strong signal that effectively causes pressure on and the decline of Aviation in General at that airport. The follow-on consequences of reducing numbers of visiting GA aircraft affects maintenance, training, fuel supply and other community retail outlets. Aviation is tenuous and easily affected by seemingly small changes in cost factors which in the aggregate have a greater affect including the affect on the regional communities that provide a variety of services. Not to mention that owner operators take their custom elsewhere driven by costs and incentives or lack there-of.
Pilots will vote with their feet as I have voted, thus I am now an infrequent visitor to YSWG and instead I buy most of my fuel from YTEM.
2025-04-28 Agenda item RP-5
It is rather disappointing that changes were (allegedly surreptitiously) made to the Annual Landing Permit to exclude non-resident aircrtaft in the 2024-2025 finacial year since council voted to remove the proposed constraint back in 2018 for very sound reasons.
This coming financial year council have provided an indication via agenda item RP-5 that they will continue with the changed terms despite submissions from members of the Wagga City Aero Club. This time council also tabled increasing fees for our light-aircraft community (those aircraft below 5,700 kg and users of a 1.77 km piece of bitumen) by 8% which is way above CPI.
It was also disappointing that the Airport Advisory Committee has fallen into disuse by the council which calls again into question the governance of the airport by office staff who know little about aviation or the community sentiment.
The council public session where people may speak on this matter was held on 28-Apr-2025 at 18:00 in council chambers. The results of RP-5 Airport Fees public session has been posted below.
I also draw your attention to some background reading:
- https://www.change.org/p/alter-charges-and-abolish-landing-fees-for-light-aircraft-at-regional-airports [3]
- RP-5 https://meetings.wagga.nsw.gov.au/Open/2025/04/OC_28042025_AGN_5012_AT.PDF [4] [note 3]
If council do not head the recommendations I guess they may remain on the category:GA unfriendly airports list (which I think needs other inclusions).
2025-04-28 council public session 18:00
Circa 18:35 council accepted my talk against the introduction of fee changes and then moved a motion to defer any vote on the matter to the next council meeting until after they have had the opportunity to read the other submissions that were not tabled.
The acceptance of the motion to defer to the next council meeting also provides two members of the public a second opportunity to speak to the RP-5 proposed fee changes at the public session.
I argued that I have changed my flying pattern and now refuel almost exclusively at Temora due to financial drivers caused by changes to the YSWG airport fees. I do not have an insignificant fuel draw-down and both Temora and I win while Wagga Wagga loses. I then called on the council to reconsider the fees, rescind the resident aircraft term on the Annual Landing Permits and to incentivise visiting aircraft and to counter the decline of GA at their gateway. [note 4]
During my talk I mentioned that Wagga City Airport has lost flight training, and now a maintenance organisation, and that I have seen this degradation happen at other airports - caused by fee structures and unsustainable costs.
The local area has such a large captive range of aircraft if only the council could incentivise and lower fees to attract more aircraft, with more pilot visits that would result in subsequent greater spend in the community.
I flew in recently just to meet up with relatives who were travelling through on a 4WD trip and we had dinner in a restaurant. Jim Morgan uses the airport as his road from his property into town to conduct business, and other pilots have been known to do similar, and that is spend money in the community.
Clinton McKenzie and the Cootamundra aviation community managed to have their council remove the fees imposed on the Southern Cross Gliding Club - who bring in between $50,000 to $100,000 each visit, depending on numbers.
Places like Temora also have a zero landing fee policy and that airport attracts gliding competitions that utterly and completely fill the town, and not to mention the same thing happens when the air shows were on. Temora Council progressively even setup a caravan park at the airport. Temora is a good model as council also set up an Aviation airpark and that is a rates-value proposition.
Airports and associated aviation events, and well placed incentives, can very easily result in an uplift to regional economies, and general aviation is essential for agriculture, fire fighting and aero medical transport, maintenance, training and are the suppliers for people who start out and keep the big end of town running - that is no less than Regular Public Transport. Once GA is eroded and the airports decline it is very hard to get the activity back - and then a greedy property developer subsumes the runways and aviation suffers and moves away - gone for ever.
The proposal was to increase fees by about 8% which is well above CPI, and back in 2024 they imposed a resident-only constraint on the Annual Landing Permit voiding opportunities for surrounding regional property and aircraft owners a much needed incentive, and despite voting to rescind that very restriction in 2018 to help the Aero Club and General Aviation - which is in decline nation wide.
If the fees increase at YSWG and the Annual Landing Permits are restricted to resident aircraft only, then I stated that I have elected to take my custom to Temora - purely based on cost drivers. I have decided to reduce my inbound flights to YSWG next financial year to once a month to attend Wagga City Aero Club lunches only and I will visit Temora even more since it is closer and cheaper for me to refuel than at YSWG.
I have heard some of our other aero club members do likewise and that is refuel at Temora. It is nothing personal, it is about getting the most air coverage for our dollar.
I also save money and fuel flying to Moruya (27 minutes flight time) than when I fly to Wagga Wagga (54 minutes flight time) - which way would you go with your grandkids if you were choosing?
I am trying to point out that Wagga City council is promoting aviation decline the way things are going, and to couple that with unknowns about lease tenure at the airport any investment will just stop.
A seemingly small change in a fee or an impost can have far reaching consequences for the community. Could you imagine what would happen if they charged people to launch their boats from the boat ramp, have you pay to drive down the Main Street, or to use the public toilets - all provided to the community free of charge? Yet the council charges for access to the mere 1.77km piece of tar called a runway. That little stretch of bitumen is the gateway to your city and it’s treated as a tollway and traffic avoids it.
Expecting a captive small user base of local aircraft to support an airport, including services they do not need or use, is unreasonable. Instead consider what incentivisation means with the capture or more and wider custom and flow-on effects to the aviation community and the community at large. Do you want business people to fly to your regional airport and invest and spend money within your region? Do you support the grass roots of aviation from which every maintenance engineer and pilot originates - and that is General Aviation and aircraft below 5,700 kg - ones that do not even leave a dent in the hardstand? Do you want jobs for the future generations in the industry and in your region?
2028-05-01
Wagga City Council governance and handling of public submissions of the regional airport called into question.
Agenda item RP-5 deferred to 12 May to allow councilors the opportunity to review all public submissions that were not tabled by council officers.
Airport Fees
General Aviation is really suffering both in the USA and Australia, in no small part to price gouging.
Councils appear to be colluding by observing other council airport fees and using that as justification of their fee structure. The end result is unreasonable pricing, and more erosion of General Aviation, particularly affecting private operators and light aircraft below 5,700 kg. Resident captive aircraft are expected to unreasonably suffer the price gouging because itinerant aircraft have been dissuaded from visiting and so move their spend elsewhere to where the fee structure is more reasonable - such to airports that have zero landing fees. If you for example run an airport with a zero-landing fee policy for light aircraft you will help sustain General Aviation, notice that others have started to take notice.
Some progressive councils are voting to change fee conditions or to abolish landing and touch-and-go fees in order to sustain and attract General Aviation.[note 5]
- 2025-05-01 Safford City Council voted to eliminate landing fees for light aircraft, aiming to create a more welcoming environment for general aviation pilots. They also voted to revoke landing fees for touch-and-go operations involving aircraft over 4,000 pounds immediately. [5]
- 2025-01-28 Florida Airport pauses vote on new landing fee. [6]
- 2025-01-16 Buckey, Arizona made is clear that landing fees will not be imposed [7]
- 2024-2025 Bundaberg zero landing fee for aircraft below 999kg (this only covers ultralights and RAUS and not most GA) [8]
- 2024-11-24 RPT airport landing fees [9]
- 2024-06 Shell harbour has pre-paid Annual Landing Permit without restriction [10]
- 2024-04-26 Australian Aviation sector has been accused of price-goughing [11]
- 2024-11-25 An interstate return flight from Darwin can cost more than $1,500 and residents say it is price gouging[12]
- 2022-04-23 Lismore council re-instated Annual Landing permit [13]
- 2016-12-02 Bussleton Aero club calls for landing fees ban [14]
- 2010 Maryborough and Hervey Bay abolishes fees for private aircraft [15]. Somehow promises were broken and this has been rescinded and AvData is collecting with quite a complex scheme [16]
See also:
Erroneous AvData billing
AvData use flight plan data, ADS-B and VHF voice recordings - so invoicing is not always correct and they take a cut from the proceeds.
- https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/611876-avdata-scam.html
- https://www.recreationalflying.com/forums/topic/35625-avdata-again/
- https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/590337-avdata-landing-fees-automatic-ctaf-calls-2.html
- https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/590337-avdata-landing-fees-automatic-ctaf-calls-3.html
- https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/590337-avdata-landing-fees-automatic-ctaf-calls-4.html
- https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/590337-avdata-landing-fees-automatic-ctaf-calls-6.html
- https://www.recreationalflying.com/forums/topic/35185-avdata/
- https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/81592-use-false-callsigns.html
- https://www.recreationalflying.com/forums/topic/18319-landing-fees-at-gladstone-ygla/
- missed approaches https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/480073-rottnest-island-avdata-charging-missed-approaches.html
- reasonable force https://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/570869-avdata-roma-maranoa-council-letter.html
notes
- ↑ We have the recent shutting of AAPA, the pressure on Rex Airlines, and the shutting of Mag Aviation - very recently as cases in point.
- ↑ I flew to YTEM to refuel on the way back to Canberra after attending the public council session on the 28th April - but then I also like flying the extra 27 minutes from Wagga Wagga to Temora to get another approach to maintain currency. All my flying is private and privately funded like the majority of the other Wagga City Aero Club members.
- ↑ I notice that only 7 public submissions have been listed against RP-5, yet I know of two emails that have not been listed in the agenda - and I wonder how many more submissions were not tabled?
- ↑ Removing the resident aircraft restriction on all Annual Landing Permits for aircraft below 5,700 kg would allow Private and Commercial operators pre-purchase of their landings at YSWG and avoid the administrative overhead of collections and actually use the council collection systems that are more than adequate as they already handle council fees and the people doing the management are already on salary. A more convenient and up-front income stream would result.
- ↑ A touch and go is when training aircraft are teaching students how to fly and involves repeated circuits with touch down and take off and the student is charged each time the wheels touch the runway, or in the case of AvData listening to radio tape, every time a circuit is performed whether the wheels touched or not, and in many cases a missed-approach at airports like Orange when aircraft didn't even land. This is an inequitable situation. It is also subject to erroneous invoicing.
references
- ↑ YSWG Advisory Committee https://wagga.nsw.gov.au/imagesfiles/documents/the-council/committees/Airport-Advisory-Committee-Terms-of-Reference-December-2017-FINAL.pdf
- ↑ Regional Airport Users Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/398937327230803/
- ↑ Alter charges and abolish landing fees for light aircraft at regional airports https://www.change.org/p/alter-charges-and-abolish-landing-fees-for-light-aircraft-at-regional-airports
- ↑ 28-Apr-2025 Wagga City Council Pubic Session https://meetings.wagga.nsw.gov.au/Open/2025/04/OC_28042025_AGN_5012_AT.PDF
- ↑ Safford City council scraps landing fees https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/arizona-airport-scraps-landing-fees-for-light-aircraft
- ↑ Florida Airport pauses vote on landing fees <https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2025/january/28/florida-airport-pauses-vote-on-new-landing-fee
- ↑ Buckey will not impose landing fees https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2025/january/16/landing-fee-ruled-out-in-buckeye-arizona
- ↑ Bundaberge zero landing fess for below 1000kg aircraft https://formstmp.bundaberg.qld.gov.au/MD-7-418.pdf
- ↑ RPT landing fees https://www.how-much-to.com/home/how-much-to-land-in-an-airport
- ↑ Shellharbour https://www.shellharbourairport.com.au/operational-information/airport-fees-and-charges/
- ↑ Australian Aviation Sector price gouging https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-26/australias-monopolisitic-airports-overcharging-airlines/103634144
- ↑ Darwin price gouging https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/australia-wide/australia-wide/104452994 - blamed on Darwin airport's landing fees
- ↑ Lismore re-insate Annual Landing permit https://yoursay.lismore.nsw.gov.au/on-public-exhibition-amendment-to-fees-and-charges-at-lismore-regional-airport
- ↑ Bussleton calls for landing fee ban https://thewest.com.au/news/south-west/aero-club-calls-for-landing-fees-ban-ng-ya-123718.amp
- ↑ Marybourough and Hervey Bay broken promises https://www.australianflying.com.au/news/landing-fees-dropped-at-maryborough/hervey-bay-airports
- ↑ AvData airport fees collection for Australian airports https://avdata.com.au/airport-charge-rates