Today sees the end of air services connecting Wollongong and Melbourne. Qantas blames rising fuel prices and declining passenger numbers for the cessation, but the major reason is the inadequacy of Wollongong airport.
This airport is incapable of handling the big, wide bodied passenger jets - and as a consequence the Qantas service used Dash-8 planes - which were too small - and too old.
The regional airport at Albion Park is at best a small plane airport suitable for privately owned aircraft and flying clubs. It was doomed as a major centre when Shellharbour council years ago permitted a suburb to develop around it - and lately for industrial factories to encroach further.
Local residents should be thankful. These limitations spare them from the misery of suburbs surrounding Sydney airport. They will never suffer excruciating aircraft noise from big jets immediately overhead, not the congestion from traffic servicing a major airport.
Sydney will exceed it's capacity as an airport in just a few years and yet the Federal government is procrastinating in making a decision on a second airport.
Badgery's creek has been ruled out of contention, and the area around Goulburn is starting to look attractive.
Should Goulburn get the nod it will be necessary for the government to consider a high speed rail service to connect the airport with Sydney - and that could be Wollongong's transport salvation.
We have longed for a speedy rail service to bring our commuters to and from work but costs have pushed such a development into the " too hard " basket. If a very fast rail link is to become a reality to connect a new airport to Sydney there is a very good chance of it linking Wollongong in the process.
This seems our best bet because we can forget an air service out of this city. We don't have an airport capable of delivering the goods. Those living in our southern suburbs should rejoice - and heave a sigh of relief !
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