Jake Nelson

The plan will include the development of a new Statewide Aviation Strategy, which will have a particular focus on Newcastle and Western Sydney International (WSI) Airports. It aims to generate $91 billion in annual visitor expenditure by 2035.

Renaissance, which has reportedly been rebuffed several times by administrator EY Australia and its sales agent Houlihan Lokey, says it submitted a binding offer to the government on 30 July that will fully repay all taxpayer investments and keep the airline flying.

The Australian Services Union (ASU), which represents thousands of Qantas check-in, call centre, and freight operations workers, will open the electronic ballot on Thursday to coincide with the national carrier’s full-year results, with voting to run until 3 September.

The new regional jet, snapped in an Embraer hangar in Brazil, is set to bear the registration VH-E2A and the name “Coral Bay”, and is expected to touch down in Australia in early September.

Run in conjunction with not-for-profit Travellers Aid, the Melbourne Airport Assist service will provide buggies and powered wheelchairs to help travellers with disabilities navigate the airport, and will run seven days a week between 6am and 10pm starting next month.

Rotor-Lift, which has operated the Westpac rescue and Ambulance Tasmania helicopters in the state for around 25 years, said it was blindsided by the Tasmanian government’s decision to award a $354 million, 12-year contract to interstate operator StarFlight.