Gunnedah airport inspection to occur with $30,000 funding

The move will take $30,000 out of parks and gardens operational expenses and put these funds in airport operational expenses for a pavement inspection to occur.

The investigation would allow for numerous assessments, including geotechnical testing and reporting, reviewing runway apron and taxiway pavement conditions, the remaining life of the pavement, and much more.

It will inform long-term financial plans, asset management plans, maintenance programs and asset revaluations for the Gunnedah Airport.

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Councillors were unanimous in their decision to support the funding shuffle, with Cr Colleen Fuller commenting that it was "vitally important we do take good care of that airport".

Cr Owen Hasler was particularly vocal when discussing the decision, and said the inspection would allow for a "true picture of what condition the airport is in and what it would need to happen to it going forward".

"I think the present crisis has highlighted the difficulties of some of the smaller airlines to service the regional centres and they've all sought significant extra funding to stay in operation," Cr Hasler said.

But Cr Hasler said the council needed to "determine a methodology" to have the airport funded "in a better way than what it is at the moment".

The councillor has said in the past that a plan needed to be drawn up to ensure that the cost for ratepayers is keep to a minimum and stood by this in Wednesday's meeting.

"I look forward to that study being completed because I would find it difficult to support any increased input from council to the operation of the airport without a clear indication that we're going to get further funding to assist in the operation," he said.

Wednesday's council papers read that the funding move wouldn't impact upon the parks and gardens operation as the budget was being under-spent with less mowing and associated work being done due to the drought.