Airport Expansion : Costs & Funding

The project is estimated to cost $13.9 million. Orange City Council is proposing a partnership between the State Government, the Federal Government and the private sector.

Federal funding worth $4.9 million was announced 6 June. (Read the Minister's Media Release here. ) If further funding sources are secured and development consent granted, it is estimated the project will be completed in the first half of 2014.

Newcrest Mining currently operates a fly in fly out service from Orange to its Telfer mine in Western Australia. While there is potential to expand this service to other Newcrest sites, the existing runway limits expansion for larger aircraft.

An economic and cost benefit analysis was undertaken by the Western Research Institute (WRI). It verifies that the benefit of this project extends beyond the Orange Local Government Area.

Click here to download the WRI Economic Assessment

Assessment of inputs and purchases, and, regional labour and household income impacts have been undertaken based on the expected purchasing and labour supply chains in the construction and ongoing stages of the project.

Employment benefits

An expansion of the Orange Regional Airport will create 93 fulltime construction jobs and when operational will add 126 full time positions to the regional economy in its first five years.
 

The construction will add $10.9 million in gross regional product (GRP) and when operational $13.4 million in GRP in its fifth year.

An airport expansion was proposed in the City Council’s 2006 Airport Master Plan and the revised plan in 2011. It was also identified as part of the Community Strategic Plan, which is the Council’s primary forward planning document, aligning the Orange community’s vision with a clear strategic vision for the long-term future of Orange.

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