Chamber CEO calls out PM

THE CEO of Toowoomba’s Chamber of Commerce has called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to clarify comments he made about the city while slamming a proposed quarantine facility at Wellcamp Airport.

Mr Morrison took aim at the State Government’s plan to build a massive hub near the airport, which would house up to 1000 visitors and 300 staff.

Speaking to the media on Monday, the Prime Minister said the facility would need to be close to Brisbane.

“The idea you can put these out in the desert somewhere, and I know Toowoomba is not the desert, but the point being they need to be close to major capital city airports,” he said.

“The planes aren’t going somewhere else – they’re coming into Brisbane. That is a very long trek.”

Wellcamp Airport is capable of hosting international flights, with planes taking off for Asia weekly.

Toowoomba Chamber CEO Todd Rohl said Mr Morrison’s comments showed “a clear lack of understanding” about the city’s capacity as a major regional hub.

“The facts are Toowoomba has a fantastic airport which serves domestic and international markets, high quality health care facilities, great hospitals and is a short drive to Brisbane, Queensland’s capital city,” he said.

“Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport is a great business with global reach (and) our health care facilities and hospitals are great businesses.

“The way Toowoomba was portrayed demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of this great city and region.”

Mr Rohl urged the Prime Minister to come to Toowoomba and meet with local businesses.