General Aviation
Cairns’ General Aviation Precinct is a major contributor to the regional economy, and is home to more than 100 businesses including major maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) businesses, education and aeronautical skills training providers, freight consolidation services, tourism operators, and rescue and charter flights.
Cairns Aviation Skills Centre and CQUniversity produce highly skilled aircraft engineers and pilots who are then employed in well paid jobs in the local economy. These organisations are already delivering on some of the aspirations outlined in the recently released Aviation White Paper – Towards 2050. Together, they have the potential to deliver so much more with targeted support. The key themes are:
· Address industry demand
· Enhance safety
· Support workforce development
· Promote innovation
· Connecting regional Australia
· Regenerating general aviation
Far North Queensland’s MRO sector is vital to the region’s connectivity, servicing fixed wing and rotary aircraft that ply the Cape, Torres Strait, Papua New Guinea and the wider Asia-Pacific. These services ensure emergency and humanitarian aid as well as FIFO flights and provide critical connectivity to areas where it matters most.
Aviation Maintenance Training Centre of Excellence and Hangar
The General Aviation sector is the backbone of the broader aviation industry, providing Australia with the skills, innovation and expertise required to grow the industry and train the next generation of aviation professionals[i]. There is a significant shortage of key aviation workers, including pilots, flight instructors, aircraft maintenance engineers and engineer instructors, directly preventing the aviation industry from growing to meet demand, and creating additional pressure on the existing workforce. This trend is set to continue with increased demand forecast throughout the industry, resulting in international competition for skills, and further exacerbating the already disproportionate impact workforce shortages have on both regional areas and general aviation across Australia.
An investment of $50m is required to develop a state-of-the-art Aviation Maintenance Training Facility to ensure the required training can be undertaken to support a skilled workforce into the future for the aviation industry and drive growth in Australian aviation at a time of critical workforce shortage and the increasing strategic importance of the North.
Cessna Flight Simulator
The Cessna Caravan (C208) light aircraft is widely used under challenging conditions in remote locations across the region and the wider Asia-Pacific.
Pilot training currently takes place within aircraft, allowing little room for pilot error in treacherous and remote terrain and unpredictable climactic conditions. A number of crashes have occurred in this aircraft type with the need for a simulator to provide a risk-free training experience.
To address this issue in the general aviation sector, there is pressing need for Queensland Governement to invest in the Cessna Caravan Simulator to implement advanced safety standards and enhance training programs for pilots serving rural and remote areas.
Explore more
Office of the Pacific
Support and enhance government coordination and drive implementation of our regional activities with our Pacific neighbours.
National Land Transport Network
Improved connectivity between Cairns and the region’s agricultural production hubs on the Atherton Tablelands.
JCU Purpose-Built Student Accommodation
Promote continued growth in the education sector, increase economic diversification and address immediate housing needs of Cairns.