YSWG - Wagga City Airport

Annual Landing Permits

2024-2025 financial year

We discovered that the terms of the Aircraft Annual Landing permits were allegedly surreptitiously changed to state that aircraft must be resident at YSWG, a change that excluded some Wagga City Aero Club member's aircraft, and other visiting aircraft aircraft from pre-purchase of the annual landing fee.

We also noted that the revenue for landing had decreased during that period because the main non-resident aircraft that used to use these permits were avoiding the airfield as a result. Some 6 or 7 aeroclub members being excluded by the change.

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. As a very visible consequence pilots now subject to the rejection have been flying to YTEM to refuel. A significant increase in flights at Temora can be seen on Flight Aware data!

We had to wait until the up coming 2025-2026 financial year when the fees and charges were displayed for comment, and subsequently re-tabled at council, before we could speak against the proposals for the next financial year.

The surreptitious nature of the changes, coupled with the lack of consultation with the Airport Advisory Committee, called into question the governance of the airport, and effectiveness of council to inform and maintain industry.<ref group="note">We can all see the stress on Aviation at this airport with a flight school and maintenance organisation shuttered. No doubt AvGas fuel takings have declined as a result of the rejection of aircraft hangared in the surrounding region, because we have Wagga City Aero Club members refilling at YTEM.

2025-04-28 Wagga City Council public meeting: Airport Fees and Charges

Some Members wrote in to object to the fee changes during the public submission period.

One member: Mr Ralph Holland (self) flew to YSWG and spoke against the proposal to increase fees on the 28-May-2025.

Council deferred the vote on the proposal to the next public meeting to provide office staff time to table all public submissions and to allow councillors to review all material to make an informed decision.

The Wagga City Aero Club then was able to provide two more speaks and a contingent of members to the next public meeting as a show of strength.

2025-05-12 Wagga City Council public meeting: Airport Fees and Charges

Two more Wagga City Aero Club members spoke against the proposed fee changes:

• Mr Jim Morgan
• Mr Geoff Breust

Council addressed the Aero Club concerns and a motion was put to constrain increases to 3%, to re-instate the Annual Landing Permit without a resident condition, and to review all airport fees. (However, there was no mention of engaging the Airport Advisory Committee - for if they had they could have addressed the fee issues up front. A much more time effective process.)

2025-05-12 result of meeting

Council moved a motion to limit airport fees increases to a maximum of 3% and to re-instate the Annual Landing Permit as open to all and any who want to participate - by removing the resident-aircraft condition.

This will help attract GA aircraft back to the airport and the aero club.

We now remove YSWG from the Category:GA unfriendly airports See YSWG - Wagga City Airport (history)