Avalon trade flies in

THERE has been a run of recent successes for the Avalon Airport precinct.

Our little-airport-that-could recently spread its wings, became the state’s second international airport and started flights between Kuala Lumpur and here.

As the first international passenger plane touched down at our airport, Linfox Airports executive chairman David Fox spoke of the long effort to run international services through Avalon.

“It’s an incredible dream come true . . . This behind us has taken 15 years to actually happen,” Mr Fox said.

Avalon has a number of characteristics, including space, that differentiate it from Melbourne Airport and helps it provide, for example, easier check in, customs and immigration, and easier, cheaper parking.

Similarly, the Avalon precinct with its surrounding fields, its proximity to a port, a freeway and rail lines, gives it potential as a transport, freight and logistics hub.

Which brings us to a second recent success for the precinct: Cotton On moving in.

The popular clothing retailer set up operations at Avalon’s industrial zone earlier this year, opening a distribution centre next to the airport.

And now, as we reveal in the Addy today, a new timber manufacturing plant will open in Avalon’s industrial zone next year.

The engineering behind Cross Laminated Offsite Solutions’ work — creating wall, floor and roof components (already containing cladding, insulation and plasterboard) that can be assembled into structures — is fascinating.

CLOS managing director John Fitzgibbon is spot on in his comments on what this could mean for advanced manufacturing in Geelong.

“We have the space, the local workforce and the lifestyle that makes workers want to stay and live in the area,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

With good public planning the precinct could become an economic engine not just for Geelong but for the state.