Caloundra aerodrome to stay put

Caloundra aerodrome will remain at its current location after the Sunshine Coast Regional Council failed to win Queensland government support to move it.

Moving the aerodrome was proposed as part of a major plan by the Council to turn the site into a new central business district for the town, with the aerodrome and its 20 businesses to be relocated to a site in the Glass House Mountains. The plan centred on the Queensland state government providing $100 million to support the move, but Premier Anna Bligh refused to back it, noting that the move would not be in the best interests of the community and the local economy.

The retention of the aerodrome has been welcomed by a number of businesses based there. It is also a major relief for the Queensland Air Museum which has been a key part of the aerodrome for a number of years. It is estimated that the aerodrome contributes $25 million annually to the local economy.