A RALLY to engage the Cohuna community about the importance of receiving an upgraded aerodrome will be held this Thursday.
Local shop owners have been asked by Cohuna Aviation Club president Andrew Gibbs to shut their doors for 20 minutes and join in the rally which will take place at noon at Garden Park.
“This aerodrome upgrade is important for the community for lots of reasons, and so we just want to inform the public about the current and future state of our local facility,” he said.
It comes after nine years of trying to upgrade the Cohuna Aerodrome, as well as a $2.57 million election commitment which was announced in May as part of the Federal Government’s Regional Aviation Fund to dramatically improve the Cohuna Aerodrome facility to become an emergency air traffic hub — catering for lifesaving medical flights and heavy duty firefighting aircraft.
The funding was meant to pay for the development of the runway, with an upgraded load bearing so it would be capable of taking “force and effect landings of a 737 in an emergency,” Mr Gibbs said.
However, with no development underway, Mr Gibbs believes time is of the essence.
