A NOOSA Junction business owner has highlighted the domino effect of closing Teewah Beach to helicopter training flights.
Grant Doran, who owns Shades Cafe and Wine Bar, aired his fears after a nearby English academy complained of a loss of business due to the flight training closure.
Mr Doran's business serves "about 25 drinks" daily to students and staff at the Lexis English academy, which in turn generates around $1 million of its annual $18 million income from Becker Helicopters' international students.
"I'd like to see a little more investigation into the impact on the greater business community and socially," Mr Doran said of the decision to close the strip, just two days after the new council was sworn in.
"The school brings a lot of students into Noosa. We get five or six intakes a year, and that's continued right through the quiet season, which is good as it gives us a great base.
"It's almost 10% of the revenue contribution to the business. When you work on small margins, that's a significant contribution.
"The income generated by the students for the economy is quite significant."
A Noosa Council spokesman said "there are no proposals to revisit that decision" to close the airstrip.
"The Teewah area was being used for helicopter landings without any approvals in place," the spokesman said.
"The site is zoned Open Space Conservation. Use of the site for commercial helicopter training is in conflict with that zoning.
"At no time had any helicopter company made an application for use of the site for commercial purposes.
"The closure at Teewah was for any helicopters landing at site - other than for emergency purposes - regardless of which company.
Grant Doran, who owns Shades Cafe and Wine Bar, aired his fears after a nearby English academy complained of a loss of business due to the flight training closure.
Mr Doran's business serves "about 25 drinks" daily to students and staff at the Lexis English academy, which in turn generates around $1 million of its annual $18 million income from Becker Helicopters' international students.
"I'd like to see a little more investigation into the impact on the greater business community and socially," Mr Doran said of the decision to close the strip, just two days after the new council was sworn in.
"The school brings a lot of students into Noosa. We get five or six intakes a year, and that's continued right through the quiet season, which is good as it gives us a great base.
"It's almost 10% of the revenue contribution to the business. When you work on small margins, that's a significant contribution.
"The income generated by the students for the economy is quite significant."
A Noosa Council spokesman said "there are no proposals to revisit that decision" to close the airstrip.
"The Teewah area was being used for helicopter landings without any approvals in place," the spokesman said.
"The site is zoned Open Space Conservation. Use of the site for commercial helicopter training is in conflict with that zoning.
"At no time had any helicopter company made an application for use of the site for commercial purposes.
"The closure at Teewah was for any helicopters landing at site - other than for emergency purposes - regardless of which company.
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