Queensland to invest $12m in wide-body aircraft paint facility

The $12 million in funding is being awarded to US-based aircraft maintenance company, Landlocked Aviation, to establish Australia’s first wide-body aircraft paint and refinishing facility at Wellcamp Airport in Toowoomba.

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Jarrod Bleijie said the Sovereign Industry Development Fund was focused on delivery and backing investment-ready projects that would deliver real sovereign capability, secure jobs, and long-term economic value for Queenslanders.

“This investment will establish a critical and unique defence and aviation capability in Toowoomba, creating jobs, strengthening local supply chains and ensuring Australia is less reliant on offshore providers,” Deputy Premier Bleijie said.

“Landlocked currently operate such facilities in the United States and we have been able to lure them to Queensland with our clear direction to support the defence supply chain here.

“We are ensuring government investment is flowing to the right projects that are ready to proceed and capable of delivering tangible outcomes across Queensland.

“After a decade of decline under Labor, the Crisafulli Government is rebuilding Queensland’s sovereign industries like defence and backing the home-grown innovation that will secure our State’s future.

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“Whether it’s in the north, the south, out west or on the range, Queensland plays a vital role in supporting Australia’s defence capability through the Sovereign Industry Development Fund.”

The project will deliver a purpose-built 7,685m2 facility equipped with aviation-grade paint and refinishing infrastructure capable of servicing wide-body and narrow-body aircraft, positioning Toowoomba as a nationally significant defence maintenance hub.

The new facility will support Defence and commercial aircraft painting and refinishing, reducing Australia’s reliance on offshore providers who complete the vast majority of this essential maintenance work overseas.

The capability delivered by the project includes wide-body and narrow-body aircraft refinishing services, including full aircraft strip and repaint, partial repaints, blending work, and corrosion protection services.

Once operational, the facility is set to generate more than 150 highly skilled jobs in Toowoomba, along with up to 600 roles during the construction phase, creating significant employment opportunities for Queenslanders in the Darling Downs Region, with operations expected to commence in 2028.

Landlocked Aviation Services Australia Managing Direction Andrew Howard said the investment would help deliver an Australian first.

“Australia does not currently have an onshore capability to repaint wide-body aircraft. When these aircraft need repainting, the work goes offshore, along with the skills and economic activity it supports. From 2028, we intend for that work to stay in Australia and be done here at Wellcamp,” Mr Howard said.

“The Queensland Government recognised the gap in Australia’s sovereign aviation capability and the opportunity to build on the significant aerospace and Defence industry already established in Queensland. Its support gives others the confidence to invest alongside us and makes it possible to move this project from a set of plans towards delivery at Wellcamp.

“Aircraft refinishing is highly skilled trade work, learned through formal training and practical experience on the hangar floor. We will take on apprentices from our first year of operation and with UniSQ and TAFE Queensland on our doorstep, the Toowoomba region is the right place to build that workforce and create lasting aviation careers.”