Busselton misses out on Qantas base

Busselton has missed out on a new pilot training base, after Queensland was awarded both Qantas academies.

In June 2018, the South West town was shortlisted with nine other regional cities nationwide as the potential home for one of two new Qantas pilot academies.

It was shortlisted just weeks after the environmental watchdog recommended conditional approval for a $70 million upgrade at the Busselton-Margaret River Airport.

Qantas today announced Mackay, 970 kilometres north of Brisbane, as the preferred location for its new pilot academy.

It means Queensland secured both Qantas academies, after Toowoomba was announced as the first location last September.

The Nationals WA leader Mia Davies said the state government had failed to convince Qantas of the merits of bringing the academy to regional Western Australia.

“Once again we find the McGowan Labor government asleep at the wheel when it comes to diversifying the economy in regional WA and creating jobs,” she said.

“Having the Qantas pilot academy in Busselton would have been a boon for the South West economy and would have created a number of jobs and opportunities for local businesses.

“Those jobs are now headed to Queensland.”

In July last year, Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan said she saw “extraordinary” regional development benefits in bringing an academy to WA.