THE eyes of the aviation world are on this runway. Watching every precious minute on the countdown to November 17, when QantasLink will start double daily return flights from Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport to Sydney, is Denis Wagner, overseeing the final stages of the ambitious project's construction.
As one of four brothers behind Australia's first privately funded airport - and the first public airport to open since Melbourne's Tullamarine almost 50 years ago - Mr Wagner is confident the family-owned company and its army of contractors will make the deadline, giving south-west Queensland a new gateway to the world.
That's supremely good news for a region that is currently at the centre of an $11 billion infrastructure upgrade when factoring in the airport's construction, the supporting Wellcamp Business Park, transport network overhauls and the building of the critical Toowoomba second range crossing.
According to the experts, the region is going to need every inch of the makeover, and possibly more, with latest independent economic studies estimating that by 2019 the airport will generate more than $452 million worth of business a year in the local economy, create more than 3100 full-time jobs for the Toowoomba region and almost 4000 full-time jobs across Queensland.
Community interest in the airport project is also sky-high, with more than 27,000 people attending an open day at the site on Sunday, the last chance anyone will have to freely roam the facility before it becomes operational next month.
Queensland Country Life was given a tour of the fledgling airport on Friday, where access to the 2.87km runway was granted and the new terminal - due to be completed in days - opened to our camera.
As one of the biggest terminals in regional Australia, the Wellcamp terminal will be built in two stages, with the first 8000sq m consisting of core infrastructure such as car parking, bus, taxi and car hire areas, ticketing desks, baggage retrieval, departure lounges, cafes, bar and retail areas and planning spaces for office tenants and airline clubs.
The terminal's second phase will allow the current facilities to expand into an additional 4500sq m as passenger numbers increase.
Although Mr Wagner is excited about the forecasts for passenger numbers, he's equally keen to see the airport play a major role in opening up opportunities for the region's primary producers.
"It means that we can have some of the best farm produce grown anywhere in the word on Asian plates well inside 24 hours," he said.
"In some cases it will be quicker to get produce into Asia from the Darling Downs than it would be trying to squeeze produce into Brisbane and out again to Sydney or Melbourne.
"Some of the projections we have for opportunities in freight are very impressive. It will be a game-changer for many businesses in this area and further afield to areas like Kingaroy,
Roma, Goondiwindi and northern NSW."
The prospect of Asia moving ever closer through improved transport hubs has been a key focus this week during the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise's Ag in the 'Asian century' conference held in Toowoomba.
Ben Lyons, who currently resides in Shanghai and sits as deputy chairman on the Australian Chamber of Commerce (Shanghai) board of directors, will join a panel of speakers today offering delegates insights into Asia's perspective on Australia's place in the 'Asian century'.
"We always hear about the New Zealand story a lot, but actually I think Australia has a lot to offer, particularly in terms of beef and red meat," he said.
"Australia in the last five years has been phenomenal. I think there has been a record on record each month recently in terms of beef going in to China."
With an already established agriculture sector, and reflecting on the new airport development, Mr Lyons sees Toowoomba and the surrounding region perfectly positioned to take advantage of the opportunities afforded in Asia.
"It will be a pretty exciting time for a place like Toowoomba, and this region, because you have a very established premium ag sector, that's diverse across protein and vegetables, and across a number of other things," Mr Lyons said.
"You've also got an infrastructure hub that means that you will get a lot of momentum, and you will become a centrepiece for a lot of ideas, not only in investment, but also for services.
"That sort of conglomeration means you have an advantage over other centres, and you will be more focused and figure out what works pretty quickly."
Mr Lyons said one of Toowoomba's greatest strengths was the continuing development of new infrastructure that will allow for the export of premium food into Asia, where a shift has taken place in terms of food demand.
"It used to be about having food in the first place, whether there was enough, but now it's very much about where it comes from and what it has in it," he said.
"Food safety and quality of food is front of mind for the Chinese. It is a nation that is obsessed with food."
