Meetings are continuing between Merimbula Airport tenants and Bega Valley Shire Council to enable a transfer of lease arrangements from the previous leaseholder, Airport Agencies to the council.
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The entire lease on the airport was due for renewal from July 1 but with the future lease/management arrangements still undecided, Ian Baker, of Airport Agencies agreed to continue management of the airport for another year but relinquished the leasehold which covers businesses at the airport.
‘We want to ensure we get it right’
- Rex Koerbin
Business and Technology manager at Bega Valley Shire Council, Lucas Scarpin said: “As per council resolution, council is in the process of negotiating individual property leases with the current tenants of the airport. We have held an initial meeting with the tenants to discuss the basis of council’s leases going forward. We are now waiting on final surveyed land areas before negotiating the leases and reporting them to council.”
Rex Koerbin, of Merimbula Aircraft Maintenance said that meetings had been amicable although council’s original offer of five year leases and a five year option for all tenants was not acceptable. He said that the airport businesses needed a sense of stability and that he had asked for a 20-year contract.
Mr Koerbin explained that although council owns the land, unlike most commercial tenancies, the tenants themselves own their buildings.
“But we’ve been waiting over two years now; there’s no panic, we just want to make sure we get it right,” Mr Koerbin said.