In his 10 years as CEO of Avalon Airport, Justin Giddings says that the last 12 months has been the most exciting and challenging.

Firstly, the company Cotton On moved their business into the airport precinct. Justin believes that this is the tip of the iceberg in terms of Avalon becoming a major industrial hub in the future.

Secondly, they hosted the air show which is growing from strength to strength. Despite the heat, Justin classed it as the best show yet. Billions of dollars worth of aircraft were on display. He  said that an agreement has been reached which will see the show continue to be hosted at Avalon Airport for the foreseeable future.

Finally, and most importantly, the airport saw the first international flight into Avalon as part of a 10-year contractual arrangement with Air Asia. It has been a long time in the making. It is important to note that this was the first arrangement in the world where the secondary airport has legitimately won a contract even though the primary airport (Tullamarine) has the capacity to accommodate the airline. This only happens in other countries when the main airport cannot cater for any more flights resulting in an overflow to the smaller airport.

During high-pressure negotiations with Air Asia, Justin was taking a great risk because he knew it would mean a major upgrade to the airport at a cost of $50 million. He had to convince his employer, Lindsay Fox, that it was going to be a viable business decision. Thankfully, things are looking good. Since the flights started 4 moths ago, no flights have been cancelled and the passenger loads have been high. Surprisingly, a large percentage of outgoing passengers have been Wyndham residents who are returning to the home country to visit their relatives in various Asian countries. 

Where to from here? Justin says that they are not likely to attract any more domestic carriers to Avalon although they hope to increase the number of Jet Star flights. He says the growth will come from attracting other international carriers and he is is focusing on airlines that fly to Thailand and Bali.

One of the other challenges is to establish a fast and reliable public transport service to and from the airport. One idea that is being seriously explored is to build a new train station on the Geelong line and then ferry passengers from that station by bus to the airport.

Justin is a very busy man. In his spare time, he is the chair of the Youth Justice Redevelopment Project Community Consultation Group which relates to the new Youth Detention Centre  being built at Little River. He is also chair of new Lara Jail Development and chair of The Gordon Institute of TAFE.

Joe Cumbo, who is doing a lot of good work on our behalf to support WERN (Western Emergency Relief Network), has pleaded for some help this Saturday (30th March). 

After being evicted from the old warehouse, all of the household items have been moved to new premises in Mt Derrimut. Rotarians are asked to be part of a working bee from 9:30 to 12:30 to stack and store the items on shelves or designated spots on the floor. There will be a BBQ afterwards.

If you can help Joe and represent our club, please call him on 0484 357981.

Instead of meeting at the Italian Sports Club on Tuesday 16th April, we will be visiting the Bone Marrow Donor Institute Rotary House in North Melbourne.

The house is an accommodation facility which provides people living with cancer and their families who must travel long distances to access medical treatment with comfortable and affordable accommodation.

You will hear from the CEO Eric Wright, who will talk about plans for the future redevelopment of the house which has been operating since 2003. You will also hear from a family member who will speak about the value and support they receive from the house.

Further details of the evening are:

• Address: 4-12 Blackwood St, North Melbourne
• Time: 6 for 6:30pm
• Dinner: Spit roast, salads and sweets
• Drinks: BYO - glasses provided
• Cost: $30 per person

There is a race meeting being held on Friday 26th April at the Werribee Racing Club. It is a day designed to recognise the fantastic contribution that our community clubs make to the people of Wyndham. This specific race meeting will provide an opportunity for clubs from throughout the region to come together and enjoy a wonderful day at the races.

Click here to view a flyer of the event.

In conjunction with Wyndham City Council, we will be conducting a Community Tree Planting day on Sunday 19th May. A total of 1454 trees will be planted. So it is a bigger exercise than our previous project where we planted 700 trees. That's why we are advertising it as a community event where we are asking for support from the people of Wyndham.

Click here to see the poster which will be displayed on various street notice boards.