$155m in upgrades on the way for Cairns and Mackay Airports

The project, which received $5.5 million in federal government funding through the Building Better Regions Fund with the remainder paid for by Ballina Shire Council, used 15,000 tonnes of new asphalt and is expected to add a decade of life to the runway.

In a statement to NT News last week, a council spokesperson said that the airport is “required to make a financial contribution to the city in lieu of rates on land which is subleased to tenants, or land on which trading or operations are undertaken”.