Code E runway upgrade

In order to release billions of dollars in economic benefit, the airport’s runway requires an upgrade to Code E status, which will allow it to accommodate long-range, wide-bodied aircraft. 

This upgrade will directly connect the Hunter and Northern NSW to the rest of the world. In doing so, it will create an immediate and permanent stimulus to the visitor economy, generate a huge uplift in freight activity and deliver significant jobs and growth to Australia’s largest regional economy. The benefits will be felt across the economy by multiple sectors and over a broad geographic area in regional Australia.

 The fundamentals of our catchment are very strong. The region boasts a large population of 1.1million, a diverse and highly skilled workforce, a globally ranked university with 40,000 students, an aspiring global city, a significant defence presence, a fertile and productive agricultural hinterland and coastal fisheries. These elements place the region in an enviable position, but it will fall short of its potential without global connectivity.

The runway asset is owned, operated and controlled by the RAAF, who are to undertake significant maintenance remediation, commencing in early 2021. As a stand-alone project a Code E upgrade would cost a minimum of $150Million. If done in conjunction with this maintenance work, the efficiencies gained and money saved are huge. Given this, the next opportunity to significantly upgrade the airport’s capability and unlock billions of dollars in economic potential will not occur again until the next resurfacing project, circa 2040.

A Code E civilian runway at Williamtown is a game changer for the region including the generation of 4,410 full time jobs. It will also deliver $12.7 billion in regional economic benefit through increased freight and stimulation of the visitor economy.