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October 11, 2016
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Issue 102
Muck raking tabloid journalism at its worst he negative coverage of an announcement that Amphibian Aerospace Industries (AAI) would relocate its operations to the Central Coast has been described by Central Coast Council CEO, Mr Rob Noble as: “Quite seriously muck raking tabloid journalism at its worst.”
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He described the US-based AAI as a “burgeoning company”. “If that’s how every burgeoning company that wants to move its business to the Central Coast gets treated, then they will soon realise this is not a region they want to come to.” Mr Noble said he was confident Council staff had done their due diligence thoroughly. “My understanding is AAI will be refurbishing planes and eventually building new ones. “We are confident they have the wherewithal, the authorisation and the legal capacity to do what they have said they will do. “This company has the Type Certifications for the Grumman amphibian aircraft from the Federal Aviation Administration
The Albatross at sea and the $100 million factory proposed for Warnervale inset
in the United States and that is not an easy thing to do. “Council’s senior staff have been working with this company for about a year. “We are talking about an 18,000 square metre hangar, it really is a major development. Mr Noble said he was
privy to a great deal of information that was, for the present, commercial in confidence, that would demonstrate the flowon benefits of Council’s agreement with AAI. AAI is the Type Certificate holder to the HU-16 Models A-E and G-111 Albatross Amphibian Aircraft, and
will move its operations from the USA to a site at Central Coast Airport under a 40 year lease. NSW Premier, Mr Mike Baird, visited the Coast on September 27 to announce that AAI would become the first transport category aircraft manufacturer to set up in Australia since the 1940s.
According to the Central Coast Council, the deal will create 240 direct jobs in aircraft manufacturing, as well as thousands of indirect jobs in auxiliary industries like parts supply, instrumentation, interior fitouts and avionics. “This is a great day for the Central Coast; this
announcement means thousands of jobs for the region with a significant flow on to the Central Coast economy,” Mr Baird said. Central Coast Council Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said: “Bringing jobs to this region and enabling employment growth are some of the key priorities of Central Coast Council. “There were a number of locations that AAI was investigating and we’re pleased to have successfully attracted AAI to the Central Coast,” he said. Mr Reynolds said the lease agreement with AAI is part of a wider vision to make the Airport a hub for light to medium commercial general aviation. “Having an anchor tenant like AAI at Central Coast Airport will help put our region on the aviation industry map,” Mr Reynolds said. “It will stimulate the Central Coast to become nationally recognised and help in attracting additional investment from related industries and innovators and growing our economy.
Office: 120c Erina Street, Gosford Phone: 4325 7369 Fax: 4321 0940 Mail: PO Box 1056, Gosford 2250 E-mail: editorial@centralcoastnews.net Website: www.centralcoastnews.net
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