Parking at Mackay’s award-winning airport will soon be made easier with an additional 130 public and security spaces coming on line in the run up to the busy festive season.

Airport general manager Trevor Heard said the Mackay Port Authority had invested more than $2 million in additional car parking facilities over the past 12 months. An extra 160 spaces opened earlier this year.

Airport general manager Trevor Heard and operations manager Ray Waters examine site plans for the new security car park

Mr Heard said growth in passenger numbers had accelerated the need to expand car parking facilities at the airport.

More than 575 000 passengers are expected to pass through the Mackay Airport terminal this financial year – an increase of about 30 per cent on the previous year.

Mr Heard said contractors had almost completed work on the new public car park. The car park was expected to be open to visitors early next month.

“At this stage, the new secure facilities will come on line in December.” he said. “The security car park will be fully automated with visitors using credit cards to obtain access and pay for parking. We are also looking at other options.”

Undercover security parking fees will be $15 per day, with discounted rates for longer stays, reducing to $12 a day for long stays of a week or more.

MPA chairman John Taylor said public car parking would remain free of charge.

Mr Taylor said the Board had resisted national trends to charge the community for public car parking.
He said the Board would today (Friday) examine a proposal to further expand public car parking facilities at the airport.

“It’s important we keep pace with passenger growth at the airport,” Mr Taylor said.