Wagga City Council bristle at claims they impeded upgrades to Wagga airport

Ahead of next week's federal budget, the Member for Riverina told reporters that Labor should honour his party's pre-election promise to spend $20 million on a new terminal for Wagga Airport.

Mr McCormack also said the Coalition would have delivered an airport upgrade had Wagga council prioritised the facility over other federally-funded projects, such as the Equex Centre.

The council's general manager, Peter Thompson, said the local member's comments were "incredibly disappointing" considering the numerous meetings council staff have had with Mr McCormack regarding the airport.

Mr Thompson said the council had "walked" the Member for Riverina through plans for the terminal upgrade requirements and said his pre-election $20 million figure in fact came from its project estimates.

"At each of these meetings, council supported its pleading with documents and terminal plans on what was required," he said.

"The $20 million price tag which Michael McCormack is now using came from a request from Mr McCormack days before the last election inquiring whether we had costings for the passenger terminal upgrade.

"Council produced costings for the terminal upgrade completed by a quantity surveyor within 24 hours."

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Mr Thompson said despite consistent lobbying over the years, the council's pleas had fallen on deaf ears. "At no time was Michael McCormack able to assist Wagga council and provide a better airport for the region - even when he was the Minister for Infrastructure," he said.

Labor councillor Dan Hayes said Assistant Minister for Defence Matt Thistlethwaite met with the council regarding its airport concerns during his recent visit to Wagga.

"This is the first time we have had meaningful discussions, as the previous government, via Mr McCormack, did little-to-nothing to help assist council in getting an outcome for the community on the airport," he said.

Former Wagga mayor Greg Conkey said he personally had a number of conversations with Mr McCormack regarding the airport over the years and, as a Commonwealth asset, the airport's upkeep was Commonwealth responsibility.

"[They] have poured very little money into the terminal, it needs to be upgraded," he said. "We had numerous discussions with him over the years, it definitely was a priority."

Mr Conkey said the biggest barrier to getting upgrades to the airport was the Commonwealth government. "We are the largest inland city in NSW and we have an inferior terminal," he said.

"We've been bashing our heads against a wall for a number of years to try and get an upgrade."

The council recently commissioned a new business case for airport upgrades, which will work in conjunction with its negotiations with the government to renew the current lease for 50 years with a 49-year option.

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