With seven years still to run on their State Government lease, founder and director Mark Harrold was told in October last year that the lease would be cancelled in mid-2021 and describes the way the situation had been handled to date as “disgraceful”.
He said he found a potential site already zoned for a heliport in Penrith and able to accommodate their fleet of 10 aircraft but Transport for NSW, which is handling the negotiations, have refused to consider it suggesting instead a move to Bankstown Airport.
Playing an integral part of last year’s aerial firefighting efforts with the Rural Fire Service (RFS), and after surviving a hit to the tourist side of their business because of Covid, Mr Harrold said accepting an “insulting” $1.8 million compensation offer made last week would end the business he has spent more than 27 years building.
“It’s nonsense,” he said.
”It’s not unreasonable to ask for a relocation to a comparable facility, equivalent to what I have now.
“There is significant evidence demonstrating that my business as it operates today, would not succeed at Bankstown (airport), I would need to sell aircraft, retrench staff and close the doors altogether – how is that a fair outcome?”
State MP for Granville, Julia Finn, also raised the company’s plight in parliament in October and said after flying more than 4,200 hours fighting last summer’s bushfires, they have had “zero help” to relocate.
However a Sydney Metro spokesperson said the Sydney Helicopters would be “fully compensated in accordance with their rights under the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act” and had been offered “support throughout the acquisition process”.
