No announcement accompanied the digital display in the Rockhampton airport terminal indicating the departure of a direct flight to Mumbai. The last forklift departed the bowels of the huge plane, hydraulic lifts activated closing the rear entrance, a final check and the plane was ready for takeoff. The cargo wasn’t military this time, instead food grown in Central Queensland for export to India. Just one of the Asian markets Rockhampton airport had direct air-freight links with. As the plane elevated the pilot looked back over the huge warehouses bordering the airstrip, the public fruit and vege market and the flood levee banks protecting the airport infrastructure.
A possible scenario for the Rockhampton airport! The airport will be hotly discussed as the Rockhampton Regional Council releases its budget. Emotive arguments will be heard for its retention and possibly for its sale. One argument that should be heard is its future.
We are in the second decade of what is being called the Asian Century. The Asia Pacific region is the largest consumer of goods and services on the planet. Soon it will also be the largest producer. Australia is geographically well positioned to make advantage of this. Particularly the demand for natural resources, education, tourism and agriculture as the Asian middle class continues to grow.
How is Central Queensland to further benefit from the Asian century? Demand for natural resources will ebb and flow. Education is subdued by a number of factors including the high Australian dollar. Without an international airport tourism growth is going to be difficult. Agriculture offers massive potential if Central Queensland maintains a ‘clean’ image and has a quick way of getting it to the dinner tables of Asia – air freight.
Improvements to and direct capital city flights from other Central Queensland airports like Gladstone, Emerald and Moranbah mean Rockhampton’s airport traditional role as the regional airport is diminishing. Income streams other than passenger need to be extensively developed. It appears Rockhampton Regional Council does not have the capital or borrowing capacity to do this. If an Asian consortium knocked on the Council door wanting to discuss the above scenario should we as a community expect the blinkers to stay on or the future (beyond a 4 year term) to be properly explored?