Merimbula airport business flying blind over council lease prevarication

About 14 years ago Mr Koerbin built his aircraft maintenance building and said council and the airport manager at the time insisted he built it in the current location even though he had requested another site at the airport.

It was part of a business expansion initiative facilitated by the Federal Department of Infrastructure and Mr Koerbin said commitments were given by council, to issue a 20 year lease.

But that long lease was never forthcoming and now council has earmarked the site for car rental/parking.

Leases at the airport are for land only and businesses must construct their own buildings. However when leases expire owners are faced with the prospect of having to remove their building at their own cost.

In a letter to Mr Koerbin, dated April 2023, council's CEO Anthony McMahon stated Mr Koerbin's lease was due to expire June 30, 2024 and council required vacant possession of the hangar site and removal of the building.

In a letter on February 14, 2024, Mr McMahon said "no eviction notice has been served" but reiterated tenure was due to expire June 30, 2024.

"I have a Civil Aviation certificate of approval, and have continued to invest in specialist machinery and stock. I have an ongoing business with an apprentice just about to become licensed. I have gone from having a building valued at $750,000 to having a $100,000 liability which I must remove," Mr Koerbin said.

"This is my business and it was also to be my super."

The uncertainty affects aircraft maintenance apprentice Tom Burn who Mr Koerbin employed five years ago. Mr Burn reached an important stage in his career and is about to become a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer.

While council attempted to hose down "speculation regarding the future of air maintenance services" there are other lease holders on the airport concerned about the situation.

Private pilot Neil Bourke said he had also been told the lease for his hangar would not be renewed and he would have to remove it at his own cost.

He is concerned about the effects of losing the aircraft maintenance service.

"If council go ahead with the eviction of the aircraft maintenance business every private pilot and aircraft owner will seek to hangar their aircraft at an airport with an aircraft maintenance facility," Mr Bourke said.

"If council is determined to continue down this path to stifle general aviation in the south east of NSW why did they accept nearly $18million from NSW and federal governments to create a General Aviation Precinct at Merimbula Airport?"

A Mallacoota-based private pilot, who didn't wish to be named, said he was concerned there was no provision for the aircraft maintenance business to have an ongoing presence at Merimbula.

"I know of a number of times when commercial flights have been assisted by the aircraft maintenance engineer there, even to talk with engineers at another location."

On Saturday, February 24 a light aircraft had a landing accident at the airport and Mr Koerbin was in attendance within five minutes to clear the runway ready for other waiting aircraft to land. Fortunately no-one injured.

Mr Bourke said if Merimbula lost the aircraft maintenance facility, "due to council's inability to co-operate" Merimbula would become like Mallacoota, Cooma, Goulburn, Tumut and Jindabyne with no possibility for maintenance .

"This will leave the South East and Snowy regions without an aircraft maintenance facility," he said.

It would also leave Tom Burn without a job in the town he grew up in and the Koerbins without a business.

"This is an unacceptable level of uncertainty for a small business impacting on our customer base, our financial viability and also impacting heavily on the health and wellbeing of us both," Mr Koerbin and his wife Lynne said.